Page 93 - AIT0919_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Studio Unravel, KR-Seoul
Bauherr • Client IMMI, CN-Shanghai
Standort • Location CN-Shanghai
Nutzfläche • Floor space 160 m 2
Fotos • Photos Sunghoon Han, KR-Seoul
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More infos on page 150

IMMI STORE

IN SHANGHAI

Transferring the unmistakability of a brand and the
passion of its intellectual creators into a physical
space is an enormous creative challenge for any desig-
ner. Seoul-based office Unravel took it on and desig-
ned the first flagship store of the Chinese brand IMMI
in Shanghai – the place where the fashion label saw
the light of day in 2015.

B irth as the starting point for a staging of the high-quality IMMI
clothing brand is not only to be seen metaphorically: It is an es-
sential part of the interior design concept developed by the interior
designers from Seoul, Korea and the implementation of the minima-
list shop appears as abstraction. Just like the garments created under
this label, the 160-square-metre sales floor also presents itself with
sophisticated details, a visible love of craftsmanship, an unconven-
tional perspective; and an equally expressive and reduced colour
scheme. The interior design is based on a very clear, geometric design
vocabulary applied throughout the entire salesroom, clothes racks
and fixtures made of transparent Plexiglas and stainless steel, as well
as linear light strips. The visual and spatial centrepiece, however, is
the cherry-red, opulently shiny area which stands out from the other-
wise almost pure white interior and which, due to its positioning and
colour, represents the womb of the brand – the uterus. This is a visible
symbol for the long incubation period of the brand, which was crea-
ted and established by the designers Joyce and Xiaomin with great
dedication to the creative process. From this symbolic core, from
which the brand evolves, metal trolleys roll into the surrounding –
very bright – world. The rails embedded in the floor, which run
through the entire shop, have both practical and conceptual charac-
teristics. Equipped with showcases, shelves, hooks or coat racks, the
trolleys become mobile displays that allow endless configurations
and merchandising possibilities. However, they are not just displays
or means of transport; they also hold a seemingly random collection
of metallic or plexiglass objects that appear "dull and irregular, even
ugly". Used intentionally by the design team, these objects are meant
to break with the conventional aesthetics that can be expected and
recalibrate consumers' preconceived ideas about beauty. It remains
to be seen whether the customers will understand the associations at
first glance, but it is certain that the unusual presentation will cause
Grundriss • Floor plan irritation among visitors to the store!

AIT 9.2019 • 093