The advancement of China‘s retail arena no longer manifests itself solely in its first tier cities, but more and more in affluent pockets elsewhere in the country. As a financial and corporate hub steeply on the rise since the 1990s, Shenzhen increasingly sees new venues in retail, hospitality, and in the cultural sector that signals both this stature and the changing lifestyle of its upper-crust demographic. The recent arrival of the sleek 1 WOR flagship store is another example of the rapid transformation of Hong Kong‘s neighbouring boomtown. The boutique is the retail extension of a local fashion business platform that presents high-end fashion brands to China, the planet’s largest luxury market. The 1 WOR store occupies a modest unit at KK Mall, an upscale shopping haven in Shenzhen‘s financial district of Caiwuwei, featuring a nifty interior design by Guangzhou-based architecture practice Domani.
Interestingly, the interior design takes cues from 3D interpretations of Pablo Picasso portraits by Lahore-based artist Omar Arqil. Defying the logical and orderly theory of present, Arqil’s artwork playfully juggles form, material and even texture to construct a totally different reality. The outline of the space may have been used as the base of the interior design, but the spatial experience is anchored by the so-called four colour theorem which blurs the perception of all obvious dimensions. The wall colour extends onto the floor and ceiling, creating unexpected planes that pierce across the premises, while a mirrored ceiling duplicates the interventions below. Shelving and main prop provide an orthogonal geometry, composed by round, rectangular and distinct lines.
1 WOR
KK Mall, 5016 Shen Nan Dong Lu, Shop B201 (Caiwuwei)
518001 Shenzhen
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
