Plain
Plain is a minimalist apartment located in Taipei, Taiwan, designed by An Zhi Zheng of BH DESIGN. The decision to displace the television from its conventional throne represents more than aesthetic preference – it signals a fundamental reimagining of how we inhabit our homes. Where once the hearth anchored family life, and later the television commanded attention from its place of honor, this design proposes a different kind of gathering point. The main wall becomes a canvas for contemplation, its quietude amplified by the absence of moving images that typically fragment our attention into digestible, disposable moments.
This approach recalls the Japanese concept of ma – the pregnant pause, the meaningful void that gives shape to what surrounds it. The circular flow of the public areas operates on similar principles, creating what the designers describe as pathways that “do not restrict movement” while fostering the kind of organic interaction that screens tend to interrupt. Unlike the linear, directed gaze demanded by television viewing, this spatial choreography invites wandering, encouraging what architect Christopher Alexander once called “the quality without a name” – that ineffable sense of aliveness that emerges when spaces support rather than dictate human behavior.
The integration of personal artwork into this contemplative framework speaks to a deeper understanding of how memory and meaning accumulate in domestic spaces. Each piece becomes a catalyst for reflection, a visual anchor for the stories that transform houses into homes. This curatorial approach transforms the wall from mere backdrop into active participant in the daily ritual of living, each viewing offering new discoveries within familiar forms.
In an era when our attention has become the most valuable commodity, fought over by countless digital platforms, the simple act of creating space for reflection becomes almost revolutionary. The circular flow that connects living areas mirrors the cyclical nature of family life itself – the daily rhythms of gathering and dispersing, of conversation and solitude that give domestic life its particular texture.