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    Linehouse creates greenhouse-informed food market in Shanghai

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    Architecture studio Linehouse has wrapped a food market in a Shanghai laneway neighbourhood around a central atrium informed by Victorian greenhouses.

    Named Foodie Social, the 2,000-square-metre food market is located within the Hong Shou Fang community – a residential area in Shanghai’s Putuo district known for its classic “longtang” laneway architecture.
    The food market is in a two-storey grey brick building in ShanghaiThe entrance to the two-storey market was framed by a double-height arrangement of stacked recycled red bricks, with a corten steel canopy added to provide shelter.
    The same recycled red bricks sourced from demolished houses in China can also be found on the interior walls, stacked to create three dimensional patterns.

    The glass pitched roof is lined with a gently curved metal trussA large glass door can be pulled open on warm days, with patterned paving from the laneway outside extending to the interior of the market, fully connecting the interior and exterior.

    The interior of the market was designed to resemble a greenhouse, with shops and cafe’s arrranged around a central, double-height atrium.
    The glass pitched roof above the atrium was lined with gently curved metal truss, in reference to Victorian greenhouses, with three large fans hanging from the metal truss to improve the air circulation.
    Some vendors are designed to be retractable to allow flexibilityA cafe in the atrium, which contains an olive tree planted into the ground, integrates a metal staircase that leads to the upper floor.
    A area describes as a “stage” is located by the staircase with a series of undulating balconies wrapped around the atrium on the upper floor.

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    Various typologies of food vendors are arranged in the open atrium on the ground floor, some of which are designed to be retractable, allowing flexibility for different types of vendors as well as a large open event space to be formed at the centre.
    “This new typology brings together the local with more curated food offerings in a contemporary yet humble and sustainable way,” explained Linehouse’s Shanghai team who are responsible for the design.
    Recycled red bricks can be found both on the facade and interior wallsSmaller snack shops were positioned on the ground floor, while larger restaurants occupy the upper floor.
    Each stall was assembled from a kit of parts, so that the vendors are able to create their own signage and layout, but maintain a consistent material and lighting palette.
    Larger restaurants are located on the upper floorLinehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.
    The studio has also recently designed the facade of a shopping centre in Bangkok and the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views.
    The photography is by Wen Studio.
    Project credits:
    Design principal: Alex MokAssociate-in-charge: Cherngyu ChenDesign team: Yeling Guo, Fei Wang, Wang Jue, Norman Wang, Aiwen Shao, Mia Zhou, Yunbin Lou, Xiaoxi Chen, Tom Grannells

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      UNStudio unveils Huawei flagship store in Shanghai with “petal-like” facade

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      Dutch firm UNStudio has revealed a two-storey flagship store for Chinese technology company Huawei in Shanghai with a facade clad in ivory-coloured petal-like forms.

      Drawing from Huawei’s global operating system, named Harmony, UNStudio’s design aimed to generate biophilic associations between the brand and its technology by integrating organic geometric shapes throughout the scheme.
      UNStudio has completed the Huawei flagship store in Shanghai with a petal-like facade”Among the many interfaces found in retail nowadays, the flagship store we have created for Huawei in Shanghai is one that blends interactive experiences, technology and community creation,” UNStudio founder and principal Ben van Berkel said.
      “The new store reimagines modern retail spaces as inviting environments that promote a sense of community and provide a contemporary venue for consumers and visitors to meet, share and innovate,” he continued.
      The store’s southern facade integrates undulating floor-to-ceiling glazing. Image courtesy of HuaweiThe store’s double-height frontage is defined by a series of overlapping elements that the studio described as “petal-like”, which fold together to form a raised band across the facade glazing.

      Each ivory-coloured ‘petal’ weaves down to meet the ground as ‘stems’, configured to hide the structural mullions between glass panels and create the sense of a frameless facade.
      Soft lighting was also integrated between the petal edges to illuminate the store’s exterior at night.
      A spiralling column was positioned as a visual marker within the central atriumPositioned directly behind the facade, a spiralling column named the Tree of Harmony continues the organic geometries internally.
      The column was positioned to the side of the central atrium as a focal point for visitors and is wrapped by stairs that lead to the upper mezzanine floor.
      To further the store’s biophilic character, the southern facade was finished with undulating glazing and seating that folds around the building’s curves.
      The studio used neutral and clean internal finishes to complement the ivory-coloured store frontageInternal finishes were kept warm and neutral to match the facade’s clean tones and extensive white overhead lighting.
      The studio used wood and glassfibre-reinforced cement for the store’s ceilings, floor and columns, while product tables and furniture were also made from wood and natural-toned materials to add to the organic feel of the space.

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      According to UNStudio, the store integrates high-performance materials and prefabricated, detachable finishes to increase the building’s longevity, while the quality of the air inside the store is monitored by climate control technology.
      “Huawei TKL flagship store re-crafts Huawei’s innovative technology into a design aesthetic,” UNStudio partner Hannes Pfau said.
      “It seamlessly creates a unified facade and interior narrative, while using high-performance, certified and recycled materials.”
      A central product display avenue spans the length of the storeThe store has a central product display avenue that spans the length of the ground floor, with two further experiential zones interspersed for increased user interaction.
      A Signature Experience zone will host featured events and exhibits, while the Consumer Full Scenario Experience zone lets visitors use and test Huawei products.
      Undulating floor-to-ceiling glazing was used for the store’s southern facadeBoth floors were designed with open and flexible spaces in which the store can host lectures, activities and classes.
      To complete the store’s functional offerings, UNStudio also created a minimalist interior cafe to blend with the rest of the store for customers awaiting after-sale services.
      The store hosts flexible spaces to be used by the communityUNStudio was founded in Amsterdam in 1998 by Van Berkel and Caroline Bos.
      The studio has also recently completed the Booking.com headquarters in Amsterdam and the YG Entertainment headquarters in Seoul featuring metallic surfaces and geometric forms.
      The photography is by Wen Studio unless otherwise stated

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      Neri&Hu highlights simplicity and functionality at Shanghai art gallery

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      Chinese studio Neri&Hu has designed a contemporary art gallery for Ota Fine Arts in Shanghai with a focus on the “sublime beauty of the banal”.

      The gallery sits on the ground floor of a mixed-use tower at Rockbund, a development amidst the historical Bund in Shanghai along the Huangpu River, where a series of restored colonial art deco buildings are located.
      The entrance of the gallery features an oversized sliding door”The primary design challenge was to utilise the areas along the facade for both storage and display, blurring the distinction between functional and experiential space,” explained Neri&Hu.
      “This deepened threshold condition found on both facades defines the visitor’s arrival sequence and journey within.”
      The facade of the gallery is framed in aged steel to contrast the contemporary galleryThe facade of the gallery was framed in aged steel, with portions of solid metal and large glass panels arranged to form a window display for the artworks.

      Handmade ivory tiles line the inner side of the window in a subtle woven pattern, serving as a neutral backdrop for the art pieces.
      A warehouse-sized door can be fully open on the west facade for easy transport of large art piecesAn oversized sliding door marks the entry to the gallery on the eastern facade. When opened, the entrance of the gallery is revealed, with the outer sliding door framing the window display next to it.
      When closed, the door slides back to its original position and allows the full-height glazed window to be exposed.
      The western facade features a warehouse-sized door that can be fully opened using a custom-designed handle. This allows large artworks to be delivered directly from a designated parking area into the gallery.

      Neri&Hu divides Shanghai fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens

      Neri&Hu also added fluted glass to the exterior, which glows in the evening to illuminate the adjacent Rockbund courtyard and add elegance to the functional facade.
      Inside the gallery, the 350 square-metre space is divided into two zones – a 150-square-metre main public viewing gallery and a private zone that houses VIP rooms and office space.
      The pared-back, white VIP rooms feature contemporary furniture pieces with custom-made white tiles and a stained oak floor and were designed to create a relaxing environment, in which the attention can be focused on the art itself.
      The interior of the gallery has a neutral and simplistic tone”The project’s understated material palette and overall conceptual underpinning lies in the juxtaposition of old and new, raw and refined, ordinary and spectacular,” said Neri&Hu.
      “We hope one can appreciate the sublime beauty of the banal, as much as the brilliance of contemporary art,” it added.
      Clean white rooms are intended to highlight the art pieceNeri&Hu was founded by architects Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu in 2004 in Shanghai.
      Other recent projects completed by the studio include the Sanya Wellness Retreat hotel on the Chinese island of Hainan and a fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens.
      The photography is by Zhu Runzi.
      Project credits:
      Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana HuAssociate-in-charge: Jacqueline MinSenior interior designer-in-charge: Phil WangDesign team: Rovi QuFF&E procurement: Design RepublicContractors: ETQ Project (Shanghai) Limited

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      RooMoo reuses distillery’s old whiskey barrels to decorate its bar

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      Chinese interiors studio RooMoo has used nearly 6,000 pieces of oak from discarded distillery barrels to adorn this whiskey bar in Shanghai.

      Laizhou Bar is located in the city’s buzzy Xuhui District and is an offshoot of Laizhou Distillery, a Chinese whiskey producer based out of Sichuan province.
      Wood offcuts from Laizhou Distillery’s whiskey barrels feature across the bar’s facadeThe distillery prides itself on reducing its environmental impact by using low-temperature saccharification machinery and collecting wastewater so it can be converted into biogas energy.
      So Shanghai-based studio RooMoo placed a similar emphasis on sustainability when designing the bar, where almost 6,000 pieces of wood from the distillery’s discarded oak barrels were reused as decoration.
      The offcuts were then used to construct a ringed structure on the bar’s ceiling”The bar imports the materials used in the distillery’s production process, creating a symbiosis between the two spaces,” said the studio.

      “Each dismantled barrel piece was different in terms of width, length and grain, so we classified them and applied them to different positions.”
      RooMoo assessed and classified all of the offcuts before useBarrel pieces are first seen on the bar’s facade, where they have been placed horizontally to create a lattice-like effect.
      The facade is otherwise only punctuated by a wide-set door and an expansive window, where barrels printed with the distillery’s logo are displayed.
      The bar’s slatted partition walls are also made from barrel offcutsOnce inside, guests step into a whiskey sampling area with a green marble tasting counter. Suspended directly above the space is a dramatic double-ringed sculpture crafted from barrel offcuts.
      More wooden barrel pieces were used to construct a curving, slatted partition in front of the main bar.
      A long seating banquette bends around the back of the room, accompanied by a series of black tables and leather chairs. There is also a huge light-up wall where liquor bottles are put on display.
      Black leather furnishings were incorporated throughout the main bar areaOn the ceiling here are the beginnings of another ringed sculpture, which will be completed as soon as the distillery has used up more barrels for the studio to use.
      “We made the ceiling structure beautiful enough to open the bar first,” explained the studio. “We are not hurrying to finish it, but following the production process and waiting for the wasted materials to be produced.”
      Off to the side of the main bar is a more private VIP tasting room. At its centre hangs a bespoke light crafted from the circular metal bands, which once held together the distillery barrels.
      The ceiling sculpture will be completed once the studio receives more offcutsLai Zhou Bar has made it to the shortlist in the sustainable interior category of the 2023 Dezeen Awards.
      The project is up against Edit restaurant by Elly Ward and Joe Morris, which is clad with salvaged terracotta tiles, and the Big Beauty store by Nina + Co, which is decked out in biomaterials like mycelium.

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      RooMoo integrates local materials and traditions into Som Land Hostel near Shanghai

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      Thatched roofs, recycled bricks and bundles of sticks were used to construct this hostel on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, which Chinese studio RooMoo has organised around two existing buildings.

      The site is surrounded by water and forests, creating a secluded rural environment on the island that’s located across the Yangtze River estuary from the vast metropolitan area.
      RooMoo completely transformed two existing buildings using materials found on-siteThe Som Land hostel was designed to integrate with this natural landscape and respect the local customs and traditions.
      “The resort’s name Som Land comes from the traditional Chinese colour, the warm green between the mottled gaps in the tree shadows, representing a state of relaxation and slow-paced life,” said Shanghai-based RooMoo.
      “In terms of overall space arrangement and planning, Som Land focuses on nature and humanistic traditions.”

      The buildings are clad using recycled bricks in a pattern based on a local clothThe architects revived two old houses on the site, manipulating their existing forms and layouts to meet the new requirements while adhering to planning restrictions.
      The larger two-storey structure that acts as the accommodation block was overhauled and extended to include an additional floor – now totalling 552 square metres.
      In the larger of the two buildings, the staircase was moved to the north side”Because the original building has problems, it is necessary to adjust the old and inappropriate space layout and add new design strategies to provide reconstruction to match the new requirements,” said RooMoo.
      While its perimeter footprint remained the same, the building was transformed both internally and externally.
      The rooms are decorated with neutral tones and natural materialsPlanning codes limited the height of the eaves. So to provide extra space, RooMoo steepened the pitch of the roof so that the extra storey could tuck inside.
      Large dormer windows create even more space on this upper floor, while balconies were added to the lower levels to extend these, too.
      Wood furniture and woven textiles connect the interiors to the rural settingThe staircase was also relocated to the north of the building, allowing three guest rooms per floor to fan around the glass-topped circulation core.
      Each room has its own bathroom facilities, and some suites include a bathtub that overlooks the balcony and the forest beyond.

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      Neutral tones and natural materials decorate the interiors, which feature wooden bed frames, tables and chairs, plus woven textiles and lighting.
      Tree branches gathered from the site are framed into panels that cover parts of the ceilings in both the rooms and corridors, while bamboo poles partition the staircase flights.
      The second building was extended on the west side with a glazed addition”The guests staying can feel the space environment of non-machine standardised production, so most of our material selection is from nature and the local site,” said RooMoo.
      The second single-storey building that was originally a tool shed was also completely rethought, becoming a reception and communal space where crumbling walls and a tiled roof once stood.
      This building is used as the reception and a communal space for guestsAs with the larger structure, the roof pitch was increased to its maximum allowed height and its boundary was also pushed outward.
      The top of its gabled form was cut off and the flat plane turned into a window to allow plenty of natural light into the interior.
      A central brick fireplace divides the open spaceOn the west side, a wood-framed glass addition is extruded from the building’s profile to face the water.
      Inside, thin strips of wood swoop down and curve outward from the skylight, helping to distribute the light.
      A variety of local products are displayed in the reception buildingA curvaceous brick fireplace and chimney stack are positioned in the centre of the open room to separate the reception area from a lounge and dining space.
      Both buildings were re-clad in bricks recycled from the original structures, in a pattern based on local cloth that casts shadows across the facades.
      Strips of wood curve from the ceiling to funnel in sun from the skylightThatched roofs were also added as a nod to the region’s historic building traditions. “In our practice, we tried to recall the traditional way of manual binding to build a roof of reed poles,” said RooMoo.
      “Therefore, we hope to bring out the first impression of the sustainable concept and practice of earth materials returning to nature,” the studio added.
      “The design treatment is to provide hotel guests with a warm and relaxing vacation with a deeper understanding of the local style of the environment.”
      The top of the gabled roof is cut off and covered in glassSom Land is longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category for the 2023 Dezeen Awards, becoming the latest hostel in China to receive recognition from the program.
      Previously, the Capsule hostel and bookstore by Atelier Tao+C in a small rural village was named interiors project of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
      The photography is by Wen Studio.
      Project credits:
      Design team: RooMooConstruction: Shanghai Guixiang Decoration EngineeringLighting consultant: Shanghai Yiqu Laite Lighting Industry

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      Neri&Hu divides Shanghai fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens

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      Chinese studio Neri&Hu has completed a store interior for Ms MIN in Shanghai, China, to showcase the fashion brand’s diverse use of materials.

      Located at the Taikoo Li shopping complex in central Shanghai, the 195-square-metre store was designed to evoke a sense of traditional home-based atelier that places materials and craftsmanship at its centre.
      Neri&Hu designed the store in Taikoo Li”Before the Industrial Revolution, textiles were made by hand in villages across China by individual families; carding, spinning and weaving all took place in farmhouses, indeed a loom could be found in every well-conditioned homestead,” Neri&Hu explained.
      “We harken back to the notion of a traditional fabric atelier, showcasing craftsmanship, rich materiality, and a domestic sensibility.”
      White fabric sheets were hung to divide the spaceThe space was divided into several zones by a series of floor-to-ceiling open grid wooden structures.

      White fabric sheet was hung in between a wooden grid to serve as lightweight semi-transparent partitions situated on left and right side of the shop. These were designed to allow plenty of natural daylight into the store.
      “Natural daylight and the chaos of the shopping mall are filtered by the sheer fabric screens, giving the space an overall sense of calmness,” Neri&Hu said.
      The flexible panels can be re-arranged and interchanged with different materialsThe same wooden structures with overhanging eaves to the right side of the shop form a series of more private rooms.
      These are used as a reception at the front of the store along with a VIP lounge, VIP fitting room and studio area at the rear of the shop.
      An internal courtyard was formed that can accommodate exhibitionsThe central display area was arranged by a series of panels, either made with micro-cement or marble and framed in brass, which form an internal courtyard that can be used as an exhibition space.
      These panels can be re-arranged and interchanged to suit the changing fashion trends in motifs every season.

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      The entire shop was paved with curved roof tiles stacked and inlaid, a traditional pavement commonly found in the region.
      Neri&Hu also created custom mannequin figures for Ms MIN. According to the studio, the linen-made mannequins have a skin-like subtle texture.
      The lightweight semitransparent partitions allow natural daylight into the shopNeri&Hu was founded by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu in 2004 in Shanghai. Other recent interior projects completed by the studio include cafe brand Blue Bottle’s latest shop and a flexible office space, both in Shanghai.
      The photography is by Zhu Runzi.
      Project credits:
      Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana HuAssociate-in-charge: Sanif XuDesign team: Muyang Tang, Zhikang Wang, Amber Shi, Yoki Yu, Nicolas FardetLighting: Viabizzuno (Shanghai)Contractor: Shanghai Yali Design Decoration Co.

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      Blue Bottle Coffee Qiantan references greenhouses and Shanghai’s brick architecture

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      Architect Keiji Ashizawa has created a Blue Bottle Coffee shop in Shanghai’s Qiantan area with a glazed facade and interiors in a hue that nods to the city’s brick buildings.

      Located next to a park in the recently developed Qiantan area, Ashizawa designed the oval-shaped cafe to reference its immediate surroundings.
      His studio removed the floor slabs from the first floor of the building, creating a double-height space with an atrium-like feeling for the ground floor of the cafe that would have a connection to the surrounding park.
      Blue Bottle Coffee Qiantan is located in a newly developed area”In rainy Shanghai, we wanted to provide a place where people could enjoy the park even on rainy days,” Ashizawa told Dezeen.
      “Also, looking at the overall plan of the park, I thought that a rich interior space was required,” he continued.

      “The result is seen as a greenhouse, like those found in botanical gardens. I thought that adding a new story to the park would increase its enjoyment.”
      It features a double-height space and a central staircaseFrom the ground floor, a long stairway leads down to the cafe’s basement level, which houses the main coffee counter.
      The staircase in Blue Bottle Coffee Qiantan was designed to reference the colour of soil and have a cave-like feeling.
      “We decided to create a cave-like space for visitors to appreciate the long stairway down to the basement, creating an experience that is like crawling through the earth in the park,” the studio said.
      A coffee counter in the basement has a colour reminiscent of bricksIt also evokes the colour of red bricks, which are commonly used for Shanghai architecture. The same hue was used for the coffee counter and for a tall central wall.
      “Shanghai’s brick architecture in the old city is a strong contrast to the architecture of modern Shanghai, and it leaves a very strong impression on the eye,” Ashizawa said.

      Traditional Chinese roof tiles decorate the interior of Blue Bottle Coffee shop in Shanghai

      “We wanted to preserve some of Shanghai’s image in this newly developed location and architecture,” he added.
      “At the same time, since the cafe is located in a park, I wanted to create a sense of unity by using the image of earth in the architecture.”
      Keiji Ashizawa used wooden furniture throughout the spaceOn the ground floor, pale-wood stools are gathered around circular grey tables.
      Downstairs, Ashizawa clad the walls in greige microcement and added wooden chairs, tables and counters.
      The walls are clad in microcementLarge trees decorate both the basement and the ground floor, adding to the cafe’s botanical atmosphere.
      “The goal was to create a connection between the outside and the inside, with a natural form similar to that of the outdoor trees,” Ashizawa said.
      Large indoor trees connect the cafe with the park outsideWooden benches also offer visitors the option to drink their coffee outside in the park.
      Ashizawa has designed numerous other Blue Bottle Coffee shops, including one in a Kobu department store and another Shanghai outpost that was decorated with Chinese roof tiles.
      The photography is by Jonathan Leijonhufvud.
      Project credits: 
      Architect: Keiji Ashizawa DesignProject architect: Keiji Ashizawa / Chaoyen WuLighting Design: Aurora / Yoshiki IchikawaLandscape Design: Hashiuchi Garden Design / Hashiuchi Tomoya

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      FOG Architecture adds playful tailoring motifs to Xiaozhuo boutique in Shanghai

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      Chinese architecture studio FOG Architecture has completed a shop for local fashion boutique Xiaozhuo on Julu Road in central Shanghai that features oversized buttons and zippers.

      The 300-square-metre shop features tactile surfaces and playful motifs that reference the process of tailoring.
      The fashion boutique is located in central ShanghaiFOG Architecture used a glazed facade to open up the front of the shop, allowing plenty of natural daylight into the space while blurring the line between the interiors and the street to create a transitional waiting area.
      Beams from an original building on the site were kept and painted red. These support a roof installation comprised of a series of puffy pillows, arranged next to one another and covered in a canvas-like material to create a soft texture.
      A pavilion-like facade was designed to blur the interior and exterior”The result is an exterior of the shop that looks like a ‘small pavilion’,” explained FOG Architecture. “The red columns, the flat roof resembling overlapping tiles, and the antique style stone seats all contribute to this spatial image.”

      “Retail display is the project’s preset function but the pavilion-like exterior challenges it and adds the possibility for leisure, entertainment and social,” the studio added.
      “The front space not only serves as the connection between the shop and the street, but also creates an experimental space that allows contrasting events happen.”
      The entrance of the shop features a grid wallThe entrance of the shop also features a symmetrical gridded wall. Its design was informed by a skylight in the site’s original building, and creates a light-and-shadow effect that adds animation to the wall.
      Square tiles were selected as the main material of the floor and wall in the waiting area, while graphic striplights were installed between the gaps in the ceiling to match the straight lines of the gridded wall.
      Tailoring elements were used as furnishing throughout the shopFollowing the waiting area visitors enter the main area of the shop, where product display and fitting area are arranged on the west side. Packaging, inventory and other supporting functions are located on the east side.
      FOG Architecture decided to use the tools and accessories commonly used in tailoring as the main design narrative of the shop, in response to the fashion brand’s identity.

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      These include red seams, oversized buttons and zipper motifs, and sinuous metallic clothing racks designed to look like sewing thread that add a sense of fun and surprise to the off-white backdrop.
      “The waiting area and the product display area are in sharp contrast in terms of palette, material, shape, and scale — stone versus fabric, light grey versus off-white, straight lines versus curved surfaces — allowing the former to become a transitional area of functions and styles, connecting the interiors to the exteriors, while guiding customer behaviours by shifting views and texture,” the studio said.
      The fitting rooms at the centre of the shop are wrapped in canvas-like materialThe newly polished interior wall is wrapped in a material that resembles a mix of linen and leather and was created by mixing canvas, plush fabric and texture paint.
      The curved outline of the canvas-clad fitting rooms serves as the visual centrepiece of the space.
      Sinuous metallic clothing racks resemble sowing threadAccording to the studio, all finishing materials in the shop were sourced from the fashion brand’s leftover materials from its production line.
      FOG Architecture was founded by Zheng Yu and Zhan Di and has offices in London, Shanghai and Chongqing.
      Previously the studio has completed flagship stores for ToSummer in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Super Seed’s Hangzhou store featuring kinetic display.
      The photography is by INSPACE.
      Project credits:
      Design team: Zou Dejing, Huang Yingzi, Wang Shengqi, Zhunag Shaokai, Zheng Yu, Zhan DiLighting design: Liben Design, Zhang XuConstruction: Shanghai Guqin Construction Engineering Decoration Co., Ltd.Furnishing: Dongguan Lianwei Furniture Co., Ltd.Structure consultant: Tao Xinwei

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      Kooo Architects creates Shanghai Freitag store in 1970s textile factory

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      Japanese studio Kooo Architects has converted a 1970s textile factory in Shanghai into a store that aims to capture the ethos of messenger bag manufacturer Freitag.

      Located on an alley in the Xian-Suo district in central Shanghai, the store was designed to retain elements of the former state-run factory while incorporating reused material.
      Kooo Architects aimed to create a pared-back aesthetic utilising few finishes to reduce the fit-out’s carbon impact. Like its previous Kyoto store, the look was partly informed by Freitag’s Zurich warehouse.
      Freitag has opened a store in Shanghai”In order to reduce CO2 emission as much as possible, the building interior does not use any decorational material, and all surfaces and conduits are exposed,” Kooo Architects told Dezeen.
      “In order to achieve a connected, inclusive and transparent environment, nothing is hidden, and there are no interior partition walls either,” it said.

      “Even the storage space is positioned in front of the visitors across all three floors. These spatial characters are highly relevant to the factory spirit of Freitag, and the space is a natural reflection of that.”
      It has a pared-back aesthetic enlivened with pops of yellowWithin the three-storey store, the upper floors contain display areas featuring industrial-looking units and storage spaces, while a large repair shop occupies the entire ground floor.
      The raw atheistic was broken by pops of bright yellow – one of the brand’s signature colours, which was used for the feature stair as well as ladders and a gantry.
      “In order to create an interior space fit for retail purposes, we adopted the white colour for the walls and ceiling and introduced a new skylight above the void space,” said Kooo Architects.

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      “Traffic yellow was used for elements related to vertical movement, including staircases, the cargo lift and the ladder,” it continued.
      “The bright factory color not only introduces some playfulness to the architecture but also simply reminds visitors and staff of safety when using these elements.”
      The ground floor was opened up to the alleyTo create the store, the studio opened up the ground and part of the first floor by removing the walls, which are supported on a steel structure.
      While the studio retained many of the bricks, the rest of the waste was ground up to make “rebirth bricks”, which were used for the ground floor paving.
      The store was overclad in steel, which was also used as the hoarding required to enclose the building during the demolition phase of the works.
      The construction hoarding was reused as cladding”We saw the material similarity between the hoarding and our designed deck plate facade, so we decided to use the deck plate as the hoarding material,” said Kooo Architects.
      “In later stages of construction, the deck plate was removed from the hoarding, trimmed to size and reinstalled as a permanent facade material,” it continued.
      “The steel deck plate was galvanised to protect the building against the weather and with a matte finish to avoid harsh reflection of sunlight.”
      A repair shop occupies the entire ground floorThroughout, the design studio and Freitag aimed to reduce carbon emissions by reusing materials and sourcing new materials from within a 100 kilometre radius of the store.
      In total, Freitag and the architects estimated that the measures they undertook reduced its carbon impact by 144 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared to a standard redevelopment.
      Founded in 1993, Swiss brand Freitag started by creating bags from reused tarpaulins. It recently opened a “micro-factory” where customers could help make their own bags out of recycled tarpaulins.
      The photography is by Studio Fang.
      Project credits:
      Store design: Freitag / Kooo ArchitectsDeveloper: Chengjun FanConstructor: HengpinConcept rooftop: Jody WongGreening rooftop: Forest City StudioFreitag bench design: Leandro Destefani (Zauber Aller Art)

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