Store by Spacemen
In an ‘impossible’ subterranean retail unit, Spacemen have designed an experiential menswear store where customers can explore a changing physical space with plenty of selfie opportunities.
Retail heavyweights such as Taobao and Alibaba are often credited with galvanising the online shopping movement in China, and as a new generation of social media-savvy consumers scours the digital realm relentlessly for alluring finds, the onus is on Chinese retailers to find their footing in the world of e-commerce. Conversely, a number of online businesses are bucking the trend by opening brickand-mortar shops.
By store – a go-to online destination for discerning hipsters – is an example, having recently opened a physical store in Shanghai. Equal parts retail and exhibition space, the striking interior designed by local studio Spacemen plays up emphasis on customer engagement while artfully showcasing By’s curated selection of avant-garde fashion wares.
Situated in the basement of Soho Fuxing, an upscale shopping mall in the heart of the Xintiandi shopping district, the space, prior to By’s occupancy, was anything but sought after. “The management had been unable to lease the site for a good two years. The location was not the best because it was hidden underneath two flights of escalators,” reveals Malaysian-born Spacemen Director Edward Tan.
Housing much of the building’s less glamorous infrastructure, the site was all too overwrought with indivertible exposed pipes, mechanicals and unsightly ductwork. Varying floor heights owing to the uneven concrete rendered the 815-square-metre space additionally problematic for taller visitors. And then there was the immovable, massive four-foot-tall concrete block that obscured much of the back space. Still, Tan and his client, Warren Wang, saw unprecedented potential in the face of these constraints. For both, the unwieldy layout and all its inconsistencies drew a clear affinity with By’s unconventional outlook as a brand.
Wang’s brief to Tan was, much like the site in question, at once open and explicit. He wanted a space that could change from one day to the next, thereby reflecting the unpredictable and experimental nature of the streetwear brands and the premium collectibles available through his two online stores, By and Moore. The interiors also had to be fluid enough to allow for impromptu exhibitions and product launches, be it a head-turning menswear collection or a showcase of eye-catching pop art. “He always had something new in mind every time we met,” says Tan of his client. “Therefore, we had to create a space that was versatile and flexible enough to accommodate all his ideas.”
Embodying these objectives, Spacemen’s design emerges as a physical manifestation of By’s dynamic sensibility while paying homage to the existing aspects of the space. Composed of several spaces that transition playfully into one another, the By store features a rich layering of visual narratives brought to life by the presence of contrasting textures, eclectically paired materials and at-times ad-hoc forms.
The journey begins immediately at the front of the store where visitors are greeted by a display area defined by fragmented forms and concrete columns stripped bare. Juxtaposed against epoxyfinished concrete, flooring fashioned from six different types of marble lends a chic touch while serving as a luxurious backdrop for display items. “Each surface and material was meant to disrupt and complement each other,” notes Tan.
Triangular formats, including a stretched ceiling system aglow with overhead lighting and a sharply angled white portal leading to the other half of the store, celebrate the layout’s irregularities. A pared-down palette and mirrored surfaces lining the display alcoves place renewed emphasis on products by reflecting the plush, lightrimmed surroundings. Another indelible highlight is an installation in the back area comprising over 600 recycled shipping pallets, created as a means of concealing the aforementioned concrete block. Entirely modular, the framework can be broken down and transformed into multi-tiered seating and a display area at the drop of a hat.
For visitors, there is the feeling that an exciting new visual experience awaits at every turn. Subtly yet purposefully incorporated into the layout, details such as grey curtains and a thin section of floor lined with delicate white pebbles soften the edgy industrial feel of the space without detracting from its main points of interest. In a way, these under-pronounced elements quietly steal the show by giving rise to a pervading sense of seamlessness and discovery that sets the design of the By store apart.