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LOCATION ▸ BEIJING

CLIENT ▸ M ESSENTIAL

YEAR ▸ 2023

STATUS ▸ COMPLETED

PROGRAMME ▸ CLOTHING STORE

COLLABORATORS ▸ -

PHOTOGRAPHER ▸ ZHUDI@SHADOOPLAY

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PROJECT SYNOPSIS ▾

THE PROJECT IS THE PHYSICAL STORE OF THE CHINESE INDEPENDENT DESIGN BRAND, M ESSENTIAL.

IN RESPONSE TO THE BRAND’S MODERN ORIENTAL IDENTITY, LAYERING BECAME THE SPATIAL STRATEGY. THROUGH SEVERAL SLIDING DOORS, THE SYMMETRICAL SPACE IS DIVIDED INTO MULTIPLE LAYERS OF DEPTHS AND SHADES, PROGRESSING IN A RHYTHM OF RESTRAINING AND RELEASING. WHEN THE SLIDING DOORS ARE FULLY OPEN, STANDING ON THE CENTRAL AXIS OUTSIDE THE STORE, THE SLIDING DOORS CREATE A SERIES OF FRAMING SCENES. LAYERS ARE EXTREMELY COMPRESSED, AND ONE’S SIGHT IS STRONGLY GUIDED TO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE STORE. ONE CAN PERCEIVE ALL THE LAYERS WITHIN A GLANCE BUT CANNOT GET A FULL VIEW OF EACH SPACE: HONEST YET MYSTERIOUS. THE DESIRE TO DIVE INTO INFINITY HAS NEVER BEEN SO STRONG BEFORE. WHEN THE SLIDING DOORS ARE PARTIALLY CLOSED, THE DEPTH OF THE SPACE CHANGES. THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE SLIDING DOORS FLEXIBLY DEFINE THE LAYERS OF PRIVACY....

THE DUALITY OF “BLACK” AND “WHITE” PERMEATES THE SPACE AS ANOTHER ORIENTAL THEME. PARTITION WALLS AND SLIDING DOORS ARE WHITE, DIVIDED BY SLIM BLACK FRAMING LINES, A SHARP CONTRAST THAT SETS THE MODERN TONE OF THE SPACE. WHITE PINE FLOORING IN THE RETAIL SPACE AND BLACK PINE FLOORING IN THE TRANSITIONAL SPACE DEFINE THE LAYERING. THE CASHIER’S SPACE IS WRAPPED IN BLACK HIGH GLOSS LACQUER FINISHING WALLS, CREATING AN ULTRA-PRIVATE AREA. HERE, “BLACK” AND “WHITE” ARE ABSTRACTED FROM THEIR COLOR ATTRIBUTES, WITH “BLACK” SYMBOLIZING PRIVACY AND “WHITE” SYMBOLIZING OPENNESS, DEFINING THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE SPACE. “BLACK” IS THE APPARENT SECRET SIDE OF “WHITE”, WHILE THE REAL TREASURE IS OFTEN HIDDEN IN THE DEEP. EXPLORING FURTHER INTO THE SPACE OF “BLACK”, THE GOLDEN EMBROIDERED FABRIC FROM THE CENTURY-OLD BRAND SAHCO COVERS THE WALL. THE FINE METALLIC YARN GLOWS WITH A DELICATE LUSTER, AND THE LAYER OF “GOLD” AS THE DEEPEST SECRET HAS FINALLY BEEN REVEALED.

A SIMPLE SYMBOL BECOMES THE MOTIF OF THE DISPLAY PROPS: LIKE THE EAVES OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE ARCHITECTURE, THE BASE AND TOP OF THE DISPLAY PROPS ARE SLIGHTLY OVERHANGING, VARY ACCORDING TO THEIR FUNCTION. A LONG CABINET PASSES THROUGH THE MAIN RETAIL SPACE, THE FUNCTION SPACE AND THE VIP ROOM, CREATING A GENTLE CONFLICT AND REINFORCING THE PERCEPTION OF LAYERING. CRAFTSMANSHIP DETERMINES THE MATERIAL CHOICE. THE DISPLAY PROPS ARE MADE OF BLACK HIGH-GLOSS LACQUER, COMPLEMENTED BY WHITE PINE AND EMBROIDERED FABRICS IN TRADITIONAL PATTERNS, DECORATING THE SIMPLE SHAPES WITH A LIGHT COLOR. OFFICINA’S HAND-WROUGHT TREE CANDLE HOLDERS AND FRIEDEMANN BÜHLER’S TEXTURED WOODEN VESSELS ARE PLACED IN VARIOUS CORNERS AS METAPHORS FOR NATURE, WHILE VIABIZZUNO LAMPS CREATE RIPPLES OF LIGHT ON THE CEILING, BRINGING ORIENTAL TRADITIONS INTO THE PRESENT IN AN ELEGANT MOOD.

"庭院深深深几许”，针对M essential品牌传达的现代东方气质，层次成为处理空间的策略。通过数道可滑动的移门，中轴对称的空间被纵向划分为多重深浅层次，在一收一放的节奏中层层递进。当移门全开，站在店铺外的中轴线上，移门形成大小嵌套的框景，层次被极度压缩，视线被强烈引导至最深处。只需一眼就能感知所有层次，却又无法窥得每个空间的全貌，直白而神秘，寻向无尽深处的欲望从未像此刻般被调动。当移门部分关闭，空间层次发生深浅变化，移门的开合灵活定义着空间的私密程度。

“黑”、“白”的二元性作为另一个东方意向的主题弥漫在整个空间。隔墙和移门以大块面的白色为底，被细长的黑色框线划分，利落的对比奠定了空间的现代基调。零售空间地面铺设浅色松木地板，过渡空间地面则铺设黑色松木地板，层次被清晰界定。收银空间被黑色高光烤漆墙面包裹，定义了一处极私密的领域。此刻，“黑”和“白”剥离了颜色属性，“黑”象征私密，而“白”象征开放，二者抽象为对空间氛围的定义。“黑”是“白”显性的秘密，真正秘而不宣的宝物往往隐藏在更深处。深入“黑”的领域，来自百年品牌SAHCO的金黄色刺绣面料包覆墙面，细密的金属纱线泛起细腻的光泽，“金”的层次作为最深处的秘藏终于被发现。

一个简洁的符号成为陈列道具的形式母题：形同传统建筑的出檐，陈列道具的底座和顶部浅浅出挑，根据功能产生诸多变体。一个通长的柜体贯穿主零售空间、功能空间和VIP室，贯穿的动作制造温和的冲突，强化对层次的感知。手工艺的质感成为材质选择的准则。陈列道具的材质以黑色高光烤漆为主体，辅以浅色松木和传统纹样的刺绣印花面料点缀，淡雅的色泽装点了简洁的造型。手工锻打的Officina树形烛台和木雕艺术家Friedemann Bühler纹理分明的木质花器在空间的多个角落反复隐喻自然，Viabizzuno灯具在天花上泛起涟漪般的光斑，东方传统在雅致的氛围中徐徐步入当下。

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