Page 81 - AIT0120_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Various Associates, CN-Shenzhen
Bauherr • Client SND, CN-Chongqing
Standort • Location Shin Kong Place, CN-Chongqing
Nutzfläche • Floor space 288 m 2
Fotos • Photos Shao Feng
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More infos on page 134

SND STORE

IN CHONGQING

The SND boutique in the Chinese metropolis of Chong-
qing with a population of several million inhabitants is
not just about haute couture and jewellery but also
about experiencing the room itself. The Shenzhen Va-
rious Associates interdisciplinary architectural office
founded in 2017 created the design concept and paid
special attention to the select materials used.

R acy interior design, an almost sacral atmosphere, curated sobriety
– a well-calculated crossover which promises an exclusive shop-
ping experience in the SND fashion store. This is because the goal here
is not merely the banal purchase of fashion products; here, the custo-
mer becomes part of a spatial installation and, in a sense, follows a
kind of choreography. Overflowing product holders? Certainly not here.
The display of the few items of clothing and jewellery that are accura-
tely arranged side by side is assigned what would in other stores be a
wasteful amount of space. This unmistakably signals exclusivity. Here
the clientele does not hectically pull everything off the hangers to head
straight for the next changing room. Here one approaches the textile
objects with caution, progresses to trying them on conscious of the fa-
shion and the setting. Past reflecting surfaces in which the room – or
oneself – seems to dissolve into fragments. Depending on the viewing
angle. The dynamic heart of the store measuring 288 square metres: a
symmetrical, elongated room-in-room whose walls strikingly taper to-
wards the top. Precisely positioned openings ensure controlled views
inside and outside and produce a dynamic sense of space, inside as
well as outside. A narrow jewellery showcase at half height runs
through the volume and linearly makes its way in the direction of the
service desk. The semi-circular counter consists of black volcanic
stone. Its open-pore surface contrasts with the smooth terrazzo on the
floor and the walls as well as with the fully mirrored changing room
opposite. The latter is reserved for VIP customers who need more
space than is usually the case. For those who do not belong to this ex-
clusive group, there are two further options. One of them is located
right behind the mirrored cube. Although when it comes to the availa-
ble space it does not measure up to the VIP variant, it also looks im-
pressive: The circular cabin is covered with fur on the outside and thus
adds a plush counterpoint to the otherwise cool-looking surfaces in the
rest of the store. So that is what luxury shopping in the Far East looks
Grundriss • Floor plan like beyond Chinese mass products. Simply beautiful.

AIT 1/2.2020 • 081