#trending: ‘Genius’ design or living in a ‘coffin’? Micro flat in Shanghai measuring 5sqm sparks debate

SHANGHAI — A micro flat measuring a mere five square metres has sparked a debate in China over its “extreme” use of space.

The one-bedroom loft in Shanghai, which can be rented for 1,600 yuan (S$305) a month, has social media users in China divided over the livability of such a compact space.

In comparison, a shoebox condominium in Singapore typically measures about 46 square metres, data on property portal Edgeprop showed.

In a 50-second video posted by the account “Star Video” (星视频) on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo, a man believed to be the tenant takes viewers on a tour of the flat while describing its layout and features.

He starts off by lauding the apartment’s landlord as an interior design “genius”.

“After entering through the main door, there is a small staircase on the left,” the video description explains. 

“Coming up (the stairs), there is a space for sleeping. There are two wardrobes at the head of the bed. There is a hanging air-conditioner installed next to the wardrobes.”

Moving to the bottom section of the loft, the man points to a small vanity table in the corner.

“Next to the vanity table is a bathroom, and laundry can be dried outside the window,” the video description adds. “There is a washing machine next to the bathroom with another space for cooking.”

Ending the video, the man asks: “What do you all think?”

The video has gone viral on Weibo, chalking up more than 670,000 views and 3,945 likes since it was shared on May 22.

Many online users were appalled by the apartment’s small size, with some calling it “suffocating” and “depressing”.

One Weibo user questioned: “Is China short of land or housing? Or what is lacking, to promote this kind of life?”

Another lamented: “How is this different from sleeping in a coffin after death?”

Someone said: “I saw (something like) this when I was hunting for a house. It’s not good at all. The whole house smells like toilets. I didn’t dare to rent it back then.”

Some people even criticised the tenant for presumably filming the video using a wide lens in order to make the room seem more spacious than it really was.

However, the micro apartment did not seem all that bad to others.

A few online users thought that it was rather “cost-effective”.

One person said: “It’s okay. (There’s) still a private bathroom, although there’s no place to put clothes.”

Another joked: “It’d be more convenient with no second floor because you can reach everything just by lying on the bed.”