Architect      GreyOffice

Location       Hangzhou, China

Year              2018

Type              Retail

Area              100 sqm

Photo            Fancheng Fei

Commissioned by Chinese brand JNBYHOME, this project aims at creating a new type of lifestyle retail by utilizing the layout of a 16th century house. Inspired by Robin Evan's criticism on modern domestic space, GreyOffice seeks a more interactive domestic space by converting a conventional modern apartment layout into four sequential chambers.

In Robin Evans essay "Figure, Doors and Passage", he concludes that the layout of living space possibly results in the relationship and activities between human figures within the domestic space. The modern layout of domestic space is organized through the passages, which separates individuals.

The store is located at the lower floor of an apartment building. GreyOffice reconfigures a typical apartment unit where rooms are connected through corridors and transforms it into four sequential chambers: the "foyer", the "living room", the "walk-in closet", and the "bedroom".

In each chamber, a continuous 1.3m Dado creates details for the metal shelves to be easily placed or removed. Inserted with customized built-in furniture made of terrazzo panels which serve functions as sittings, counter and display shelves, the wall becomes an active system for functional change of the space. the entire interior space can be easily converted from a retail space into a gallery or a more intimate domestic space for casual events depending on the display of shelves and furniture.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Upon arriving at the store, the customer will be in the first chamber - "foyer" and finds three aligned door frames painted in blue featuring four sequential chambers, In this chamber there is a register counter casted together with the built-in furniture in white terrazzo. Behind the register counter is the full-height storage closets along the wall. With white plaster for the upper part of the wall, white stone paint for the dado and white terrazzo for the fixed furniture, the entire space is comprised of different textures of "whites". the subtle difference between materials enriches the warmth of the space while keeping a holistic mood of simplicity and order.​​​​​​​

Customer entering the second chamber will find a "kitchen" on the right and a "living room" on the left. Kitchen top and some other built-in furniture are cast in white terrazzo inserted with maple veneered wooden elements.

Different types of shelves are designed to accommodate the various functional display requirement of the products. The shelves all have the same typical details. They sit on the slot on top of the dado and are stabilized at the skirting reveal at the bottom. This space can be decorated as the central space of an apartment - a living room but can also be curated into an event space by moving out the furniture and shelves as required by the brand.​​​​​​​

After entering the third chamber, the floor finish is transitioned from white terrazzo to oak flooring giving more warmth to the “closet” and the “bedroom” in the last chamber. The “closet” is mainly for display of the brand’s textile products and pajamas, and the “bedroom” becomes the setting scene for the bedding products.