Concrete, steel and fluted glass merge inside this shop that design studio Linehouse has created for fashion brand JNBY in Xiamen, China.
Chinese cities were a key point of reference for Linehouse, which has decked out JNBY's Xiamen store with materials often seen in dense urban settings – concrete, glass and steel.
The interior aesthetic of this JNBY store will be rolled out across all of the brand's future locations in China – one branch has already opened in Chengdu, and another is set to open in Changsha.
The ceiling of the 100-square-metre store is entirely covered with concrete coffers. Each one is bordered by bright-white LED strip lights.
A curved, steel-frame screen inset with panels of fluted glass runs around the periphery of the space, set back from the structural walls. The partition balances on chunky cylindrical blocks made from recycled concrete pavement.
The urban materiality of the store is interrupted by a couple of ceramic display stands, which Linehouse formed by wrapping convex tiles around steel poles that extend from the floor to the ceiling.
Some of the stands have been fitted with a metal ring where garments can be hung, while others have small shelves where accessories can be put on show.
Convex tiles also clad the front of JNBY's service counter. When viewed up close, customers will be able to see a myriad of cracks, which Linehouse made visible by adding Chinese ink into the tiles' glaze.
The sculptural bases of the store's low-lying display tables are made from grainy wood or concrete that the studio has cast against pieces of fabric.
"The brand sought a modern approach to capture its core values, focusing on material exploration while guiding urban dwellers in appreciating the surprise and poetry of everyday life," explained Linehouse.
"So we wanted to contrast the urban represented by the concrete, steel and textured glass with the notion of crafted imperfection represented in the ceramic and timber detailing... they have the qualities of the handmade; variation and contrast."
Linehouse was established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling, and works between offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The austere material palette of the JNBY store in Xiamen is a far cry from the studio's recently completed project, Basehall – an upscale food court in Hong Kong. Inside, the venue features walls lined with pink-metal rods, brass light fittings and a blue metalwork ceiling.
Photography is by Dirk Weiblen.
Project credits:
Architect: Linehouse
Design lead: Alex Mok, Briar Hickling
Design team: Cherngyu Chen, Jingru Tong, Elspeth Lee, Celine Cheung