Chinese underwear and socks retailer Banana in 蕉内 makes shopping for daily necessities adventurous and fun through experiential retail, and its latest outpost in Hangzhou is no exception. The store, situated on the premises of Hubin Yintao IN77, an upscale shopping mall on the banks of scenic West Lake, sees a renewed collaboration with Shanghai-based spatial design and research practice Some Thoughts. Occupying a 180 sqm. (1,938 sq.ft.) unit, the chosen aesthetic is once again evocative and surprisingly detailed, taking cues from the hypothetical notion of a highly structured world facing imminent transformation due to a bold interaction between culture, society, technology and economy. Indeed, this is a retail space infused with symbolism that borders on science-fiction.
Cantilevers hanging over the opulent, black and white marble-clad columns add a dramatic shape to the linear design, even subtly suggesting a defiance of gravity. The cambered surface shelters shelves laden with merchandise and is supported by a certain structure to form a cantilever in the space, introducing a new interaction between organic elements and the machinery. Mind you, the designers redefined ‘nature’ as a collision between marble and metal materials, resulting in an aesthetic that signals both structure and deconstruction. A row of five large shelving units crafted from aluminium grids and acrylic sits on one side of the store. A large LED screen showing branded footage is placed right in front and is connected to an intricate demarcation constructed from matching marble and aluminium. The new Banana in 蕉内 store stocks men’s and women’s underwear and socks, in addition to homewear and bath towels.
Banana in 蕉内
Hubin Yintai IN77, 258 Yan’an Lu, Shop (Shangcheng)
310006 Hangzhou
Publishers Note
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