XIAOYU LAN
2022-2024
PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO
EXHIBITION DESIGN
INTERIOR DESIGN
SCEN DESIGN
XIAOYU LAN
I am an exhibition designer and artist, to storytelling through the creation physical and virtual environments.
I love using lighting as a narrative tool atmosphere and deepen engagement.
2020-2024
EDUCATION BA
China Academy of Art
Intermedia Art
2024-2026
MDes
Rhode Island School of Design
Interior Architecture: Exhibition and Narrative Environment
artist, dedicated of immersive tool to shape engagement.
EXHIBIRION SENCE DESIGN
RENOVATION PROJECT FOR OLD BUILDINGS
EXHIBITION PROJECT
PROJECT BUILDINGS
01 From Here To Eternity
The scene is set in 20th-century New York, during Edward Hopper's era, paying tribute to 19th-century drawing room dramas while reflecting an urban middle-class lifestyle.
By the 1950s, suburban homes with backyards and the rise of consumer culture, led by television, defined the golden age. The space is designed to balance realism and drama, accommodating both exhibition and performance.
EXHIBIRION SENCE DESIGN
Skillset: On-Site Construction / Rhino / Adobe Suite
Team: Media Sencenography Department in China Academy of Art (CAA)
Role: Sence Designer
Timeline: May 2023 - Jun 2023
Location: World Tourism Expo Museum, Hangzhou, China
EXHIBITION SITE PHOTO
Combining Characters and Scenes to Create a Sense of
SCENE REFERENCES
Scene Background:
Late 20th century, United States, middle-class family.
Scene Lighting:
Bright, referencing Edward Hopper and Shirley - Visions of Reality.
Scene Props:
Referencing Gregory Crewdson, realistic photography, and the French film Amour.
VISUAL CHECKLIST
DIGITAL PRESENTATION
02 "Dynamidor" Stage Center
This project reimagines the site as a multifunctional performance space. Inspired by the multiple doors on each wall, the design emphasizes accessibility and flexibility, redefining spatial zones through connected pathways, selective wall removal, and height variations.
The central area features adaptable stages, a rehearsal hall, and supporting spaces, fostering interaction between performers and audiences while breaking traditional boundaries.
RENOVATION PROJECT FOR
OLD BUILDINGS
Skillset: Blender / Rhino / Adobe Suite
SPATIAL DEDUCTION
I started with the their routes, the space
Then, by rotating the original walls to
SECTIONS
doors in this space, and when I connected space naturally divided into two large areas. certain elements, I broke through parts of to redefine the space.
The new walls form a sharp contrast with the old red bricks and provide excellent soundproofing.
A-A' B-B' 1F
EXPLODE VIEW
PLAN VIEWS
The new theater space is primarily composed of two large areas, with some original walls partially removed to create a more dynamic environment and introduce more natural light.
EXPLODE VIEW
Celling
Designed Structure
Origial Structure
RENDERING
flexible seating arrangements between audience
adapting to the needs of different fashion shows, concerts, theater
SECTION
audience and performers
Both theater spaces allow for different stage settings such as theater productions, and films.
The positions of the audience and performers can be exchanged according to different performances.
The positions of the audience and performers can be exchanged according to different performances.
03 Threads of Nature Weaving
Light Wind & Water in Bangladeshi Architecture
This exhibition explores the architectural treasures of Bangladesh recognized by the Aga Khan Architecture Award. Drawing inspiration from light, wind, and water, it highlights how these elements shape and reflect Bangladeshi architecture, blending tradition with modernity.
The exhibition also showcases Bangladesh’s rich textile heritage, using it as a metaphor for the interplay of natural elements in design. By celebrating the harmony of nature, culture, and craftsmanship, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on humanity’s connection with the natural world.
Skillset: Lumion / Rhino / Adobe Suite
PLAN VIEWS
Light
phrasetheseeyouwhenthinkyoudoWhat “MadeinBangladesh”
My inspiration comes from the floor plan of one of the architectural studies. I took the original structured square and rotated it by 25° to the circulation of my exhibition, creating a dynamic spatial experience.
Projection Interaction with “water”
Ancient Loom Machine
Feeling the rhythm of shadow
Hearing the voice of wind
Water Wind
STUDY CASES
PANELS DESIGN
78 inch
Wood Structure
Frabic
Wood sheet Light
Principle Panel using the color from the Bangladesh traditional pattern. Using the Rotating Approach as the layout.
Panel Structure
In the corridor, people can only observe through small openings, while in the courtyard, they can clearly see the overlapping of the photographs.
04 The Westland Exploration Journey in the Silver Valley
Eliot's The Waste Land suggests that tradition is not a static entity but a continuation of history. As society evolves, commercialization gradually infiltrates villages, and the homogenization of architecture erodes their unique character. Villages begin to drift away from their original identity, turning into so-called "isolated islands." Yet, this transformation highlights what we must protect in our era.
This project focuses on a specific village, uncovering its history and amplifying it to celebrate the unique characteristics of the rural landscape.
Skillset: Blender / Rhino / Adobe Suite
RENOVATION PROJECT FOR OLD BUILDINGS
TECHNIC DRAWING
EXHIBITION NARRITIVE
This is an immersive exhibition narrative space where visitors take on the role of miners. Upon entering, they pick up an oil lamp on the left side of the entrance and step into the dimly lit "mine."
OTHER WORK
15 Rules for Rebuilting the World
This exhibition invites you to experience Christopher Alexander's "Fifteen Fundamental Properties" through the evocative and immersive world of Pina Bausch’s stage photography. Pina’s groundbreaking stage designs and choreography transcend mere aesthetics, channeling deep emotional currents and architectural precision.
WORK
MUSEUM EXHIBIRION DESIGN
Skillset: Model Making / Rhino / Lumion / Adobe Suite
RENDERING
SIMULFACTORY
SCENE DESIGN MINIATURE MODEL
Skillset: Blender / Model Making
Timeline: May 2023 - Jun 2023
Exhibition Location: Zhejiang Library,Hangzhou, China
Scale: 120*66*44(cm)
The Municipal Pigeon Marcovaldo
This project is based on a chapter from the Italian novel Marcovaldo, selecting four key moments for scene design and rendering in Blender. In post-production, green screen technology was used, with myself as the protagonist, and costume and styling were crafted to reflect the novel’s historical setting. The final composition was completed using Photoshop. This work was exhibited at the World Tourism Expo Museum, Hangzhou, China.
SCENE DESIGN
3D RENDERING
GREEN SCREEN
Skillset: Blender / Green Screen Technology / Photoshop
Timeline: May 2023 - Jun 2023
Location: World Tourism Expo Museum, Hangzhou, China
SENCE 1
And as he proceeded, his eyes on the fying birds, hefound himself at an intersection, the light red, in the midstof the automobiles; and he came within a hair's breadth ofbeing run over. As a traffic cop, his face purple, wrote nameand address in a notebook, Marcovaldo sought again withhis eyes those wings in the sky, but they had vanished.
SENCE 3
Marcovaldo went up with a sack. Trapped in the birdlimethere was a poor pigeon, one of those gray urban doves, used to the crowds and racket of the squares. Flutteringaround, other pigeons contemplated him sadly, as he triedto unstick his wings from the mess on which he had unwiselylighted.
The building where Marcovaldo lived had a fat roof,with wires strung for drying laundry. Marcovaldo climbedup there with three of his children, carrying a can of bird-lime, a brush, and a sack ofcorn.
SENCE
Very concerned, because he was six months behind withthe rent and feared eviction, Marcovaldo went to theSignora's apartment, on the main foor. As he entered theliving room, he saw that there was already a visitor: thepurple-faced cop.