“A garden within” is the core concept of this fashion boutique. What makes a garden are not just trees and flowers but also the unpredictable encounters of the forking paths. A garden is a place one can wander around freely, through the endless variations of paths and yet always find one’s corner. This garden is not mean to be an isolated place, rather it enhances connectivity. It connects on the inside with ramps and platforms to generate a visual overlay, Introducing the street trees a shop interior is a gesture inviting the outside road inside and it conceptually connects on the outside space. The pure geometric play of platforms and ramps, the use of steel, concrete and terrazzo reject any direct historical reference.
Winner
Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2020
Masstone Fashion Boutique
Retail Interior Design Built
Firm
SpActrum
Architect/Designer
Yan Pan
Design Team
Yan Pan , Zhen Li, Yu Zheng, Sha Luo
Location
China
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©Yan Pan, Zhen Li
With over 7 meters floor-to-floor height, the mezzanine, with its two different heights, was located in the center of the space, while a ramp which faces the main entrance connects it to the ground. A bespoke hanger/lighting system surrounds the mezzanine. At the back corner, there is a green planted wall with elliptical shapes cut out of it, and a platform with the same footprint floating on the green wall. This is the VIP room. The cashier’s desk is just beneath it. A bespoke counter with complicated curves lies in the middle of the openings. In the far corner under the green wall is the shoe display area, with shelves like shoes running on Spline tracks at different heights. There are three reflecting panels hanging from the ceiling to flood the space with diffuse reflections. The round golden reflector facing the entrance rotates, while the reflected elements constantly appear and disappear.
The project intends to give choice back to people instead of controlling consumer behavior according to a conditioned reflex system. To achieve this, there are four different paths designed around the raised platforms, with different configurations of ramps and stairs, thus providing a different rhythm of movements. The exposed ceiling services and ducts give a clear vision of the elements that support today’s consumer culture.
Form is a means of communicating the different disciplines of different elements. It is a sense generator, and creates experiences as well as visual forms. With the idea of creating multiple paths and enhancing freedom of use, the design explores the potential of geometry to create ambiguity and polysemy. The ramp communicates between the mezzanine and the ground, and is also the division line of the facade between the glass display wall and the triangular green wall at the bottom. The inner edge of the ramp extends all the way to the entrance and divides the terrazzo floor from the concrete on the ground floor. This manipulation of form generates a tension when people move around the space and constantly stimulates people’s senses.
The design/manufacture interface blends easily because digital fabrication technology has been used. The design is optimised to explore this trend. The manufacturing procedures for this project started in the design studio. The hanger/lighting system was developed with lighting design studio. The system was decided after a thorough study on lighting effects and 1-1 mock-ups. After that, the system layout was modified to fit into the plan. The system has been split into several replicated modules to fit different radii. It was then dismantled, with each piece corresponding to a part of a section. The CAD drawing was sent from the studio directly to the steel warehouse for cutting. It was then welded and assembled into modules, which were then installed on site.
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