Xishun Tan’s Myriad Circles wins Gold at A’ Interior Design Awards

Myriad Circles, a residential interior in Chengdu designed by Xishun Tan, won Gold in the A' Design Award’s Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The project was recognized for translating Western Sichuan’s Linpan and Chuandou timber traditions into a contemporary home built around custom joinery, concealed structure, and a layered public-to-private layout.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights a growing interest in interiors that treat local building traditions as working design systems, not just visual references. - Myriad Circles shows how heritage carpentry, material prototyping and digital fabrication can shape modern residential space with cultural depth. - The recognition may influence future projects that aim to combine identity, functionality and craft in dense urban housing.

What happened: - The A' Design Award named Myriad Circles a Gold winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. - Xishun Tan designed the residential interior in Chengdu, China. - The project draws on the architectural heritage of Linpan settlements in Western Sichuan. - The announcement was made on September 4, 2026. - More information is available on the project page.

The details: - Myriad Circles reinterprets traditional Chuandou interlocking timber techniques through custom American walnut joinery. - A concealed steel skeleton supports the walnut framework while preserving the lighter visual effect of traditional Chuandou cantilevers. - The interior also uses stainless steel and glass alongside walnut. - The space was designed to display the client’s Retro-Futurist collection of die-cast models. - A central permanent-temporary framework organizes the home from public areas to private zones. - Xishun Tan led the design vision. - Fiona Liu served as Design Director. - Tim Tan served as Project Director.

Between the lines: - The project reads as a translation of vernacular construction into urban living, rather than a direct stylistic copy of tradition. - The combination of research, craftsmanship and digital fabrication suggests an approach built for both cultural continuity and contemporary performance. - The Gold distinction also signals that judges saw the work as more than decorative, with technical and conceptual rigor.

What's next: - The recognition gives Xishun Tan a stronger platform for future vernacular-based interior projects. - The methodology behind Myriad Circles may inform other residential designs seeking cultural grounding and spatial efficiency. - Continued attention may follow around Xishun Tan’s broader work in material science and heritage interpretation.

The bottom line: - Myriad Circles turns regional timber tradition into a modern residential language and earns one of interior design’s top honors for doing it.