In Yancheng, an industrial and commercial district straddled alongside the port of Kaohsiung, the First Bank Kaohsiung Warehouse, a large two-storey structure built in 1964, has recently been given a new lease on life. A number of new tenants have moved in, such as a coffee parlour, art gallery, and hybrid store concept Oskay. Founded by True Thing Design Studio, an affiliated design practice based in both Kaohsiung and Taipei, derived from e store occupies a 125 sqm. (1,346 sq.ft.) unit, and obviously, the premises feature an interior design by the aforementioned studio. The store concept is rooted in nostalgia—its name Oskay is derived from from the pause language used by kids playing hide-and-seek in southern Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s, while the settings are a nod to the ruggedness of the nearby mountains, the calmness of the sea, and the ongoing urban development of the industrial port.
The impressively lofty element of the space – mind you, the space has a six-metre high ceiling – has not only been reinstated in its original exposed form, but it’s also seamlessly embedded in the interior design. This approach is intended to allow for potential recycling and continuation of the warehouse’s identity in the face of various future business activities. As such, the large floor-to-ceiling entrance windows have also been retained, leading to the installation of a ‘hideaway wall’ which blurs the distinction between the interior and exterior, while simultaneously providing a layout with a central bare column to delineate the store, office area, and meeting space. The Oskay store carries a tightly curated range of design furniture and home objects, but also hosts a rotating programme of exhibitions, lectures, and quite interestingly, baking sessions. © superfuture
Oskay
105 Bixin Jie (Yancheng)
Kaohsiung 803
Telephone +886 7 5212980
Mon-Tue 1pm-4.30pm
Wed by reservation only
Thu-Fri 1pm-4.30pm
Sat by reservation only
Publishers Note
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