Manifesto | Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes
“Yi” (邑) — the ancient character for city and capital — encapsulates the spatial imagination of civilization. Historically, cities have been the focal point for both Eastern builders of the nation and Western master builders. Architecture, in its truest sense, is the very texture of the city — an act born from urban consciousness. Yet as modern disciplines have fractured, architecture and urbanism have grown apart. Urban governance, social structures, economic systems, and environmental urgencies are now rarely engaged at the architectural scale.
It is precisely within this intellectual and practical gap that Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes was founded — to reunite architecture with the city, and with the land.
Established in 2018, Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes is an international, cross-scalar design practice with studios in Paris and Shanghai. As a strategic partner of the Grand Paris project and an advisor for urban regeneration efforts in cities such as Shanghai and Qingdao, we propose an original methodology: L’architecture intégrale — a holistic approach that positions the city as the starting point of architectural thought. Through this lens, we help clients unlock the full spectrum of spatial, social, economic, and ecological value in every project.
Our work spans a wide range of building typologies — cultural, office, commercial, medical, and educational — and extends into urban design, planning, and interior architecture. What binds them all is our pursuit of meaningful architecture as a civic, spatial, and human endeavor.
L’architecture intégrale | The 3i Method
In the practice of holistic architecture, Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes has been at the forefront of integrating resilience theory into architectural design — exploring the interlinkages between city, community, and building through a uniquely developed framework: the 3i Method.
• In-situ Urban Symbiosis We examine architecture as an active agent within larger urban systems. By breaking disciplinary silos and applying multi-dimensional evaluations — including governance, infrastructure, economy, culture, risk, and ecology — we ensure each project is attuned to its urban and social ecosystem.
• Inclusive Co-creation We believe architecture is co-authored. From conception to realization,we listen to the voices of users and work with them to shape space. In urban projects, we buildcollaborative mechanisms involving developers, public bodies, and citizens — ensuring vitality, inclusiveness, and long-term sustainability.
• Insightful Stewardship We guide our clients beyond design. From early-stage research and strategic planning to risk management and value communication, we act as long-term stewards — helping shape architecture that is resilient, adaptive, and capable of evolving with time.
In the course of applying this pioneering methodology,
Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes has realized multiple iconic public and cultural buildings across various regions, while actively advancing academic research and international exchange.
In 2022, Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes was selected to exhibit at the 30th International Garden Festival of Chaumont, one of the most influential landscape art festivals in the world. The project Jardin d’illusion was the only Chinese work among the 24 selected gardens.
In 2024, our project Zuoquan Township Courtyard won the Silver Prize for Cultural Architecture at the 2023 International Design Awards (IDA), as well as the Grand Prize for Public Architecture at the 2024 DNA Paris Design Awards, and was shortlisted for the 2024 THE PLAN Awards in Italy.
In 2023, Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes officially became a partner of the Grand Paris Project.
Looking Forward，
We will continue to anchor our practice in key urban projects, while nurturing innovation through experimentation. We remain dedicated to delivering architectural solutions that are intellectually grounded, culturally meaningful, and responsive to the evolving challenges of our time.Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes Coexisting with the city. Co-creating with users. Co-evolving with clients. Architecture with empathy. Architecture with responsibility.
Xiangcheng Liu
Founding Architect, Atelier-i / Illimité Architectes
National Class 1 Registered Architect (China)
National Class 1 Registered Urban Planner (China)
Doctorate in Architecture, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville, France
Master in Architecture, Tongji University, China
Master in Architecture and Urban Design, ENSA Paris-Belleville, France
Master in Urban and Real Estate Finance (MS MUI), ESSEC Business School, France
Xiangcheng Liu previously worked at Arte Charpentier in Paris and served as Chief Architect at Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. He has rich experience in leading major landmark projects both in China and internationally, including the Huawei Headquarters Campus, Chifeng Grand Theatre, Chengdu University Town, and the Gaobeidian Urban Complex. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the First Prize of the Shanghai Survey and Design Awards.
In 2018, Liu founded Atelier-i in Shanghai and established its French branch Illimité Architectes / Atelier-i in 2021. Leveraging his interdisciplinary and cross-cultural academic and professional background, he leads the studio under the theoretical framework of L’architecture intégrale.
His representative works, such as Zuoquan Township Courtyard, have won high-level international awards including the DNA Paris Design Award, the International Design Awards (IDA), and have been shortlisted for the THE PLAN Awards. His experimental landscape piece Jardin d’illusion was the only Chinese project selected for the 30th Anniversary Exhibition of the Chaumont-sur-Loire International Garden Festival, earning wide media coverage and interviews. Through collaborations with top architectural teams from both China and France, he continuously fosters creative and practical exchanges, fueling innovation through research and cultural dialogue.
Louis Donnet
Founding Partner
Bachelor of Architecture, EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Switzerland
Master in Urban and Real Estate Finance (MS MUI), ESSEC Business School, France
Louis Donnet gained experience in prestigious architectural firms in Switzerland and Italy, including David Chipperfield Architects, recipient of the 2023 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
His work spans multiple fields including sports facilities, residential buildings, commercial spaces, cultural institutions, and educational facilities. He contributed to the Caserma Piave historic renovation project, which transformed a 19th-century military barracks into a multifunctional educational complex — a project that won first prize for David Chipperfield Architects.
Returning to France, he transitioned into real estate and urban development, participating in the design and construction of timber-structured office parks and offering planning consultancy services for community development.
Jiacheng Song
Founding Partner
National Class 1 Registered Architect (China)
Senior Engineer
Master in Architecture, Tongji University, China
Jiacheng Song previously worked at Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., where he led a wide range of large-scale projects across China. His experience includes educational facilities, residential buildings, cultural projects, hotels, and vernacular architecture.
He has led the design of university campuses, vocational schools, city-level fitness centers, and integrated K-9 school complexes. Many of his projects have won provincial-level design awards. Advocating a design philosophy of “Contextual Modernism,” he emphasizes dialogue between architecture and local context, creating works that reflect a harmonious coexistence between architecture and nature.
