It is probably the smallest and biggest concert hall of all.

The request from the client is to design a small piano classroom for him. Instead of creating this introvert classroom, we decided to develop a more ambitious gesture; we want to make it a radiant space towards the whole city. Thus the smallest and the biggest concert hall appears.

Be the smallest, as it is a space for one to play for oneself; be the biggest, as the city is the space's audience.

We imagine the space like a concert hall insert into the site. The morphology of the space is an abstract of a triangle piano. The strings become the stage, the metal plate and soundboard become the ceiling; the lid becomes the audience; the frame becomes the back of the house. The whole space then becomes a generator facing the entire city.

The storefront is a spotless white façade with no logo or text indicating the name of the space. It is merely a stage to watch. It becomes a famous spot in the whole area, every week, there will be a small concert host here, the audience, everyone, no ticket or fee required to enjoy the music. Only one cannot choose what they want to hear, what will be performed will be solely decided by the space owner.

The inner space is a trilogy space series. We comfirmed ths space shape and material by doing acoustic analysis and BIM model.

The first part is the “string” of this concert hall. The place is a speaker shape wood box insert into space.

The speaker attached to the wall becomes a critical element of the space.

The 2nd part is the audience seats looking towards the stage.

The final part is the back of the house, one storage and one toilet. These two space are like two massive pillars seats in the room.

The light design for the concert hall includes several modes for a different purpose.

In performance mode, the light between the two pillars, flush down like a skylight, while two spotlights light up the piano and player.

The light effect is theatrical in this mode. The stage is a stage at this moment.

It stems from the memory that the brand founder lived in the lane playing basketball since he was a child, and the hollow sound of basketball has become the origin of the brand name Phew. Thanks to this simple joy, phew hopes that every young person who loves sports can be simple, pure, decent and confident. Say architects was entrusted by it to build the flagship offline store in downtown Hangzhou, which is open to all citizen.

The design concept unfolds as a "lane traveling", where pavement tiles are laid into the interior of the venue, making the interior space a natural part of the street and a lane in the neighborhood. Phew's open door creates an open, free and relaxed state for the outside world, unlike traditional commerce.

Both pedestrians and community residents can walk into the space naturally along the sidewalk, and the space materials and props in the room also come from the memory of the lane.

The entrance to the lane is an traditional track door bar, while the real entrance is pushed back by 1.2 meters. The semi-open grey space becomes a small yard, which is also an area where every household used to take their own stool out to chat.

Four "small houses" are placed inside the space, which perform the functions of coffee, fitting room, warehouse and bathroom.

They do not come into hard contact with space but exist in the structure with stitches. It is often said by the elderly that it is another year for repair. Random splicing of plywood, functional blocks on the outside, and the shape of the house with rounded corners jointly build the life form of the old base.

The lifting hangers on both walls are like the clothes hangers that protruded out of the balcony in the past, and descended during the day as a clothing display. After the store was closed, they all rose, accompanied by the switching of lights, which happened to be a large art installation.

The daily changes in display make a subtle difference in this artwork, which is the rigid demand of life and the art of life.

It stems from the memory that the brand founder lived in the lane playing basketball since he was a child, and the hollow sound of basketball has become the origin of the brand name Phew. Thanks to this simple joy, phew hopes that every young person who loves sports can be simple, pure, decent and confident. Say architects was entrusted by it to build the flagship offline store in downtown Hangzhou, which is open to all citizen.

The design concept unfolds as a "lane traveling", where pavement tiles are laid into the interior of the venue, making the interior space a natural part of the street and a lane in the neighborhood. Phew's open door creates an open, free and relaxed state for the outside world, unlike traditional commerce.

Both pedestrians and community residents can walk into the space naturally along the sidewalk, and the space materials and props in the room also come from the memory of the lane.

The entrance to the lane is an traditional track door bar, while the real entrance is pushed back by 1.2 meters. The semi-open grey space becomes a small yard, which is also an area where every household used to take their own stool out to chat.

Four "small houses" are placed inside the space, which perform the functions of coffee, fitting room, warehouse and bathroom.

They do not come into hard contact with space but exist in the structure with stitches. It is often said by the elderly that it is another year for repair. Random splicing of plywood, functional blocks on the outside, and the shape of the house with rounded corners jointly build the life form of the old base.

The lifting hangers on both walls are like the clothes hangers that protruded out of the balcony in the past, and descended during the day as a clothing display. After the store was closed, they all rose, accompanied by the switching of lights, which happened to be a large art installation.

The daily changes in display make a subtle difference in this artwork, which is the rigid demand of life and the art of life.

Followed by Kerry Center Store, Petit·Yanran Xinyue Store on Yanan Road, Shangcheng District is the second store. Say hopes that the new store on the side of the street will not bring the sense of distance to customers while keeping French elegance and romance. The French experience can be obtained easily in this moderate way.

In Paris, while visiting local historical sites and walking on streets and lanes, tourists will find that cream-colored stone brick buildings with carefully carved details of different shapes on a large area of stone are seemingly local culture symbols.

Because the abstraction of urban texture will be reflected in the French dessert space after abandoning traditional understanding, giving up complex columns, carved patterns and decorative lines, Say hopes that the overall space can focus on materials and simple forms and inclusively present romantic exquisite beauty under neo-classicism in a modern and reserved language. The external wall of the original building shows the stone texture meeting our imagination. A sunshade is added based on the arched storefront style and rough stone texture, making the facade layered and creating the atmosphere of a coffee and dessert shop in a foreign country.

This is a two-floor store. Limited by conditions, two floors are separated independently. On the first floor, there are seating and gift areas; on the second floor, there are seating area, private kitchen and transparent dessert preparation room. Taking a panoramic view of the plans, the integrity and functionality of each space are kept in composition and proportion.

In atrium, a semi-circular area is regarded as the display area of desserts and gifts. While bringing smooth arrangement of dynamic lines to the seating area, the cambered wall standing in the center is used for proper obscure vision between the store and the shopping mall; the semi-open design endows the sense of separation.

Candlestick-style wall lamps and inlaid floor lamps seemingly bring the space a retro and solemn dramatic effect.It's like wandering through local history. Curved wall reflects the simple application of arc elements in local buildings, softly expressing hard stone. Facing the west, the store will be covered by afternoon sunlight, adding a warn tone to the space.

If arc expresses rich emotions, straight line is a smooth and clean language in a simple, straightforward way. Set off by a large area of retro cream-coloured tone, the bar counter applies cone pattern and stone fully, lightening the overall space.

Except exquisite desserts, the dining table is made of black stone scattered with golden, which will distract customers’ attention to the artistic pattern extending from orderly conflicts.

Although the complex expression way is abandoned, Say still keeps the core of exquisiteness. Through simple texture and block surface processing, perfect integration is realized, and the distance with customers is closed for better personal experience. Starting from actual perception, customers will see and taste the rich layers of desserts.

Say architects has designed a new concept store for Panasonic, a global leader electronics brand, on Hangzhou Lakeside Pedestrian Street. Panasonic entered the Chinese market in 1987 has been committed to the Chinese market to convey the concept of people-oriented. Say also hopes to take this opportunity to reinterpret the localized expression of international brands in China and create a new landmark building for the Lakeside Pedestrian Street.

The commercial space of traditional electrical appliances is relatively closed and the facade is usually covered with a large area of advertising and enclosure. And it makes the commercial advertising as the starting point of consumption decisions. However, Say readjusted the facade of the building and opened eight external display windows. These open windows replace the traditional large advertisements and make it easier for visitors to visually touch the brand. The prioritization of the experience feeling brings more vitality to the street and community.

Say regards the whole building as two parts: the lower part is gray bricks rooted in the local area and the upper part is silver plated based on the international area. And there is a natural and smooth transition at the junction. Traditional culture and technological innovation are ingeniously integrated in the facade just like the intimate handshake between Panasonic and Chinese culture.

During the process of manual silver plating, a large number of bubbles will be produced in the handmade brick. When producing in the fire, the bubbles break and form a unique natural texture. Therefore, the diffused reflection of lights are carried out, greatly reducing light pollution.

With the rejuvenation of the country's consumer market, Say hopes to create a more vibrant building facade as a brand image. Hand-plated silver bricks are replaced half of the gray bricks. From the early morning to the dusk, the building is like a vibrant mirror, happy to feedback natural colors to young consumers. Seasons, weather and temperatures are integrated into the building facade. The building is very much like a frank and sincere child, passing on the joys and sorrows of nature to every citizen who pass by.

The indoor space is divided into two floors, which is divided into two symmetrical spaces with the floor axis. Different from the traditional display mode of enterprises, the route and the space are divided into one floor of space through four rooted land floating island brick platforms, which also symbolizes the coping strategy of Oriental culture in international culture. The ceiling is composed of 13 4.2-meter stainless steel mirror panels to help consumers understand the space exhibits in multiple dimensions. In order to solve the problem of air conditioning maintenance, each plate driven by two customized motors can be lifted separately. They are like Panasonic products, whose visual also pursues the ultimate aesthetics in ensuring good practicality.

The main road with the largest traffic of Lakeside Pedestrian Street is located in the south of the site, where two pieces of nearly 8 meters of low-e glass form a transparent southwest corner, the internal high space cooperates with LED curtain wall, circulation play a short film created by new media artists ZHANG Chi for the bright house, the implicit artistic creation bringing to every consumer through the most direct way is also Say’s exploration and practice of new retail space.

To ensure the maximum display scale along the street, the double running staircases originally are located on one side were converted into straight running stairs and placed behind the display wall. The visual window of Panasonic air conditioning serves as a guide to the entrance to the stairs. The whole staircase is covered by the casting foam aluminum. The century-year development history of Panasonic is recorded in an etching manner through the whole way upstairs, bringing a journey of time and space.

The mirror symmetry space of the exhibition hall on the second floor and the ceiling echoes the glowing ground on the ground floor, and the walls extend from the facade to the interior maintaining the continuation and unity of the style. At the end of the space is the indoor terrace on the second floor and LED's video art consistently conveys the brand spirit, while the array of CNC TVs on the other side becomes the guide to the penthouse garden.

The mix of warm color floors and stainless steel elements makes the abandoned roof form into a private and young garden terrace, bringing flexible possibilities to the traditional commercial space.

Panasonic Bright House integrates nature, citizens, culture and corporate brands, appropriately brings humanities and technology into people's lives, and also shows the world the localization expression of international brands in China.

After being invited by WARM STUDIO, say architects is dedicated to constructing an office headquarter located on top of Infinitus Plaza in Guangzhou. As for the project, it has helped the six departments affiliated WARM STUDIO to create the brand-new office space, at the same time, it is also the new exploration of the edge of the urban working.As for the Infinitus Plaza in Guangzhou, it is the posthumous work of Zaha Hadid who is the famous architect in Britain. Moreover, it is situated in the original site of Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, as well as the landmark architecture toward the central business zone of Baiyun district.

The virtual world plays a more and more crucial part in human life along with the rapid development of science and technology. In such a background, mobile phones have become the indispensable items for people to enter such digital world. Therefore, the prospecting and conception related to mobile phones in the future will trigger the pondering of the group on bags design.Everything is wrapped in bags in the past, however, bags are merely required to hold a mobile phone now. In the future, they will just be the decorative accessories. Say architects also proposes the concept specified as “exploring the edge of the urban working” for the group space which has been newly constructed regarding to the “fashion based on digital social media” concept proposed by WARM STUDIO.

In terms of the traditional office space, it takes output value as the objective, which makes the per capita area limited inside each work unit. Nonetheless, the current working modes for different work categories and different age groups are undergoing gradual transformations with the youth-oriented employment in companies. Firstly, the space is further split into three elliptical belts from inside to the outside dimensions on the basis of work freedom which are respectively the FREE WORK, BASIC WORK and NO WORK accordingly.

BASIC WORK: it further contains six major departments and 104 fixed units whose daily office forms are basically maintained.

FREE WORK: it is consisted by a clockwise circular flow line which is located in the center and used for meeting the demands of different departments, as well as carrying different auxiliary spaces, including various multi-functional spaces for reception, short meeting, discussion, exhibition planning, meal and so on.

NO WORK: it is based on the veranda created for active sunlight shading which is covered by two runways. They play the parts of leisure and exercise for employees in off-work hours.

When you enter the elevator hall, you are seemingly within the central square of the city. Then, the symmetrical street lights will lead people to the city center along the axis. The inspiration for the creation of wall surface comes from Taotao bags of the group. There are symmetrical and round shapes, the folded seams with hardware hidden inside, which is able to eliminate the human traces to the greatest extent. These bag elements are made into the urban texture in the square by say architects. Moreover, the cut-parts of walls are equally folded by the internal corners while they are polished well by the external corners. Nearly all the design logic on site is the manifestation of brand bags manufacturing.

There is the first node of square for FREE WORK by the right side of the door and it is the space for break enclosed by two parent-child screens. When functioning as the space for guest reception, it also functions as small discussion area. At night, it is considered as the public art in the square center in diffuse reflection environment.

The first area reached is the FREE WORK area for the marketing and E-commerce departments. The continuous partition walls provide a relatively private space for group decision-making discussions or conference calls, while creating a calm and peaceful spatial atmosphere for the promenade stretching into the office area.

The area between FREE WORK and BASIC WORK consists of several glass boxes with translucent partition glass to ensure good light and create a stable private space.

Efficiency is an implicitly crucial factor for companies. Transparent decision making and circulation of information invariably increase the efficiency of corporate rotation. All solid wall surfaces in the BASIC WORK area are covered by felt panels, which helps to provide a visual solution for the circulation of information in all departments.

The design department with its boardroom is located at the heart of the square. The special nature of the department makes it a townhouse along the street with a separate access control system, but the huge curved glass windows show the creativity and handicrafts to the audience in the square. Distinguished from the traditional square tables and panels, the wavy tables and panels at the entrance are like amenities in a park, creating space not only for design workshops, but also a vibrant way to socialize in the WARM STUDIO community.

Compared with other departments, the design department will have more customized display cabinets and storage space. What is hidden behind the designers' units is a large number of hidden display cabinets with felt-covered doors, which is flexibly adapted to the discussion needs of different groups.

Say Architects keep each concrete pillar in the space and encourages every body to create them according to the character and habits of their respective departments. The picture shows the “rainbow pillar” made by the design department from the leftover leather material.

The modular display cabinets at the entrance of the design department are specially customized by Say Architect based on the design department's habit of leather, hardware and books usage. They are made of solid and durable multi-layers and metal, providing users with more abundant storage space.

The north side of FREEWORK is the ARTWAY space which is served by rotatable track lights, simulated sky light structure and diffuse lighting system. Except that, the brand display, RUNWAY, WORKSHOP and even dinner party will be held in this flexible space, which has become the offline space for the brand's cultural output to a large extent.

The lighting system in the site is designed by YAANK lighting design. Based on the environment of the natural square, the lighting design takes into account the requirements of employees from three aspects: natural light, human-oriented lighting and sustainable lighting to shape a lighting environment that is functional, comfortable and artistic.

The wall lamps are similar to the street lamps in the square which can automatically light up at night with 3000K warm light effect, providing the space with the illumination degree through the diffuse reflection of the ceiling and walls.

The inner ring lighting system that mimics the sky light is placed on one side of the curtain wall, which makes the light appear to be coming from outside the window. Even when someone is looking up and seeing the fixture, there is still a feeling of skylight seemingly. This deceptive sensory experience plays a vital role in human mood and health from both visual and mental needs, indirectly enhancing productivity and creativity.

The grey space outside the office is the NO WORK region, consisting of a plastic running track and two hard paved surfaces that connect the various entrances and exits of the office on one side and a landscaped roof deck on the other side. NO WORK provides users with excellent views and a place for aerobic activities.

The mountainous city images in Baiyun district are framed into paintings by the constructional curves with super tension through the glass curtain walls. Each one is going through repeatedly in the paintings, so they are not only the audience of these paintings, but also the creators of these paintings, as well as the participants in the city undergoing rapid changes day and night. The light and shadow of the outer corridor tell the past and the future of the city, link the city and nature at the same time, which can greatly relieve the working pressure of people.

Reef is a coffee, salon and barber store located on General Road in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. Since the design concept was born, it has been put on the site and gradually grows, eventually organically entwined with the environment.

The idea of Reef was born out of the three owners' vision of a barbershop space. They wanted to emphasize the social attributes of a barbershop and let the space itself promote the correlation and penetration of different functions between the interior and exterior, so that barbering is no longer the purpose of a hairdressing space but a choice of multiple behaviors in the space. From this idea, Say began to conceptualize the reef.

In reality, reef is a rocky or calcareous coral accumulation, formed by the accumulation of coral worm skeletons over a long period of time, and is the result of an organic growth. Say wants Reef to reflect this organic growth as a barber collection space, rooted and growing in the original building, with the interior and exterior spaces flowing within and outside the reef, forming a strong permeable relationship.

The site is located at the corner of Lakeside Apartments on General Road, with two main facades. Say started from the concept by setting up a stone column on the entrance side, formed by the interlocking of various stones, from which the whole Reef is generated. During construction, this column was also the first component to be positioned and placed on site, and the entire construction process is the process of Reef’s growth.

Reef starts from the stone column, which serves as the origin, and the whole space is set in a 300*300 grid system, starting from the façade, all the separations and elements in the space are positioned in the whole grid system. Behind the grid system are the three main spaces of Reef, the men's barber, the women's salon and the coffee area. Coffee area runs through both floors and connects the salon on the second floor with the barber on the ground level.

The massive grid facade is raised by 2.1m on stone columns, creating a striking contrast in volume, while the metal grid of the facade extends to the other side of the building facade, where there are no columns to support it, and the entire grid system seems to hover lightly on the outside of the building. The blue metal grid is filled with sand-blasted glass, and above 2.1m, the interior light becomes blurred and soft through the glass, while below 2.1m, the interior space can be seen directly through the windows.

Entering Reef, the first floor is for coffee, barber, and some service storage space. The coffee area is two stories high, and the façade, which is depressed to 2.1m, highlights the spatial scale of the coffee area. Guests enter the coffee area from under the façade grid system, and the comfortable spatial experience of the coffee area comes to the fore. At the same time, the outdoor space seems to naturally penetrate the interior through the façade, and the indoor and outdoor areas are divided by this point-to-point approach. The entrance is a 2400*2900 white pivot door with an orange irregular prototype door handle that reinforces the concept of an organic and natural space.

The blue façade grid grows out from the column ends, and the steel structure within the space is labeled yellow, with a T-shaped steel structure running through the doorway and extending to the end of the interior. The red window frames are wrapped around the yellow steel beams as if they were creatures. Standing indoors, the view of the exterior through layers of glass is obscured by the translucent façade above, so that the view is naturally focused on the street and the landscape.

The blue façade grid is connected by metal elements to the yellow structure and red metal separations. All three adhere to the potential modalities of where each should be in the intended grid.

From the center of the cafe area, all the main functional spaces of the reef can be seen from all around. Through the perforated metal panels, the barber on the second floor and the staircase leading to the ladies' salon on the second floor are connected to the coffee area, yet ambiguously divided. The entrance to the barber has a vinyl record player and record display, where a vinyl record selected by the owner is displayed and played on the record player each day.

The yellow steel structure extends into the Barber area and terminates at the end of the space, the acrylic grid ceiling is modulo the same as the façade grid, and the blue vertical metal dividers behind the mirrors also follow the same potential modulo rule, corresponding to the acrylic grid of the ceiling. The blue piano lacquer walls reflect a sense of elegance and vintage in keeping with the men's barber.

The women's salon area on the second floor is reached through a staircase behind a perforated panel. Pink and red are the main colors of the ladies' area, and the red metal divider grows from the first floor to the second floor. The red metal divider on the wall is the main lighting source for the space. When the light is reflected on the ceiling, it creates a soft and even lighting effect.

The custom-made furniture in the salon has rounded and full metal lines, and the pink piano lacquer wall and invisible doors are paired with mirror stainless steel custom pulls, which are designed to resemble vintage storage cabinet pulls.

At the entrance, we wanted to use a special approach to reflect that reef is a barbershop, so we designed a mini metal rotating device instead of the usual rotating lights at the entrance of a hair salon.

From an architectural theory point of view, reef cannot be clearly classified as an organic building, however, the creation of spaces that can be organically integrated into the site is the core of the reef design concept. Emerging from a point at the entrance, the space follows the logic of an underlying grid, bringing the guest a rich permeable spatial experience of the interior and exterior, and the organic atmosphere of reef gives rise to a social feeling that is rooted in the site. Moreover, guests often spend the afternoon in the entrance cafe after their haircut, talking with friends or the owner.

It is probably the smallest and biggest concert hall of all.

The request from the client is to design a small piano classroom for him. Instead of creating this introvert classroom, we decided to develop a more ambitious gesture; we want to make it a radiant space towards the whole city. Thus the smallest and the biggest concert hall appears.

Be the smallest, as it is a space for one to play for oneself; be the biggest, as the city is the space's audience.

We imagine the space like a concert hall insert into the site. The morphology of the space is an abstract of a triangle piano. The strings become the stage, the metal plate and soundboard become the ceiling; the lid becomes the audience; the frame becomes the back of the house. The whole space then becomes a generator facing the entire city.

The storefront is a spotless white façade with no logo or text indicating the name of the space. It is merely a stage to watch. It becomes a famous spot in the whole area, every week, there will be a small concert host here, the audience, everyone, no ticket or fee required to enjoy the music. Only one cannot choose what they want to hear, what will be performed will be solely decided by the space owner.

The inner space is a trilogy space series. We comfirmed ths space shape and material by doing acoustic analysis and BIM model.

The first part is the “string” of this concert hall. The place is a speaker shape wood box insert into space.

The speaker attached to the wall becomes a critical element of the space.

The 2nd part is the audience seats looking towards the stage.

The final part is the back of the house, one storage and one toilet. These two space are like two massive pillars seats in the room.

The light design for the concert hall includes several modes for a different purpose.

In performance mode, the light between the two pillars, flush down like a skylight, while two spotlights light up the piano and player.

The light effect is theatrical in this mode. The stage is a stage at this moment.

Parlor meansliving room in French.The Client has a professional background in jewelrydesign, she want the space to be more like a living room instead of a normalshop and with function that could provide with flexible display for particularjewellery pieces.. At the beginning of the design, we had an thorough understandingof jewelry brands present by the client.Each jewelry, with their unique shape, texture and way of wearing, shows theirindividual personality. Say takes this opportunity to personify the jewelries, theyare the users of the space. Say created a three level living room in the space-- the outer hall, the middle rooml and the inner chamber.

The plan was generated from twocircle and one rectangle, the center of the circles aligned in the center ofthe space creating a symmetrical design. The courtyard landscape was realizedwith French pine, benches and bushes, friendly allowing visitors to stay, talkand relax.

The axle of the courtyard was rotated by 30 degrees, leading to the storefront window, and then, one shall enter theParlor.

Tables, chairs, shelves, fireplace were arranged in the Parlor as itwas the main social space in the design. Jewelleries replaced people became the owner in the space. 

The opening in the center of the parlor led tothe Chamber, the ending space of the tri-layer design. Inspiredby Villa Rotunda designed by Palladio, the chamber, constructed with eggshell sandstone,reflective ceiling and floor, serves as a spatial hub,not only hiding the shear wall, but also connecting the counter, warehouse, restroomand fitting room.

The Chamber space is a tranquil and elegant ending of the route as wehope it forms an intimate and private atmosphere.

Superimposing the floor plan of the Parlor19, the carved stone becomes the door handle. SAY regards it as the first handshake between the guests and the space.

The sink of restroom is made by whole stonematerial, with the entry door knob, both echoing the basic shape of the design,rectangle and circle.

It is probably the smallest and biggest concert hall of all.

The request from the client is to design a small piano classroom for him. Instead of creating this introvert classroom, we decided to develop a more ambitious gesture; we want to make it a radiant space towards the whole city. Thus the smallest and the biggest concert hall appears.

Be the smallest, as it is a space for one to play for oneself; be the biggest, as the city is the space's audience.

We imagine the space like a concert hall insert into the site. The morphology of the space is an abstract of a triangle piano. The strings become the stage, the metal plate and soundboard become the ceiling; the lid becomes the audience; the frame becomes the back of the house. The whole space then becomes a generator facing the entire city.

The storefront is a spotless white façade with no logo or text indicating the name of the space. It is merely a stage to watch. It becomes a famous spot in the whole area, every week, there will be a small concert host here, the audience, everyone, no ticket or fee required to enjoy the music. Only one cannot choose what they want to hear, what will be performed will be solely decided by the space owner.

The inner space is a trilogy space series. We comfirmed ths space shape and material by doing acoustic analysis and BIM model.

The first part is the “string” of this concert hall. The place is a speaker shape wood box insert into space.

The speaker attached to the wall becomes a critical element of the space.

The 2nd part is the audience seats looking towards the stage.

The final part is the back of the house, one storage and one toilet. These two space are like two massive pillars seats in the room.

The light design for the concert hall includes several modes for a different purpose.

In performance mode, the light between the two pillars, flush down like a skylight, while two spotlights light up the piano and player.

The light effect is theatrical in this mode. The stage is a stage at this moment.

SHANG XIA consistently embraces contemporary innovative design, crafting a distinctive and culturally rich lifestyle. While emphasizing the inheritance of craftsmanship and ingenuity, it also excels in innovative breakthroughs.

Previously, the spatial design was crafted by the renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Now, for the first time, the brand collaborates with a Chinese architectural design team to launch its inaugural flagship store with a new image.

say architects aspires to narrate, within the context of traditional culture, an Eastern aesthetic of elegance and simplicity for SHANG XIA Shenzhen Bay Rail In Boutique. This interpretation aims to capture a romantically balanced expression between tradition and innovation.

In Chinese, "上" (shàng) and "下" (xià), as contrasting antonyms, seem to exhibit a characteristic of interconnectedness between characters, embodying subtle philosophical reflections within the brand's language. If this extends to the physical space, does it similarly possess elements of opposition and unity?

say architects envisions the two levels as concealed yet open, flat yet dense, reserved yet expressive "symmetrical" spaces. The "central axis" serves as a freer state within the restrained architectural framework, implying that the space is a contradictory yet balanced existence.

The first floor is composed of a tea bar, tea product gift boxes, and a ready-to-wear clothing area. The surface of the tea bar undergoes treatment with three different textures, creating a rugged yet delicate natural feel through the splicing of original stones. The upper part, resembling the hats worn by ancient knights, exudes a chivalrous spirit.

The tea-drinking area unfolds around the tea bar, with one section delineated by Beijing bricks, creating a more secluded tea gathering point. Another section features a tea table carved from natural stones, seamlessly connecting the interior and exterior spaces.

Upon arriving at the tea product gift box area, the central display platform draws inspiration from the brand's bamboo-woven porcelain tea sets. The pliable and boneless bamboo threads are intricately connected, echoing the elaborate three-dimensional weaving craft of the products.

The presentation of the ready-to-wear clothing area is more gentle. The wall and floor are traditionally arranged in a unified herringbone pattern. Embroidery on the wall emits a subtle glow, resembling delicate roof tiles, covering the clothing rack components and exuding a warm bluish-green color of shadowy glaze.

If the former is a straightforward and reserved narrative, then the "central axis" leading to the second floor is expressive. The bamboo art breaks the balance with an "outstretched arm" gesture. It consolidates various functional areas in form, visually creating a certain impact through scale.

Its simple lines and graceful curves present a tranquil continuity, guiding the flow of space. The dynamic interweaving serves not only as a conveyance of artistic conception but also as an evolution within the context of traditional cultural threads.

The furniture showroom on the second floor is constructed with embroidered wall surfaces, with rice paper screens softly partitioning the space. Among the most iconic pieces of SHANG XIA's carbon fiber chairs, the slender and light Ming-style official hat chair is a collision of tradition and innovation, featuring lively colors that bring more imagination to the blank space.

say architects adhering to the brand's diverse philosophy, has innovatively applied traditional intangible cultural heritage crafts such as bamboo weaving, wickerwork, embroidery, ceramics, and paper art. Amidst the noise of the world, it skillfully avoids distractions and narrates with a harmonious blend of traditional and modern language. Every corner here is filled with stories, and each piece of work has its own voice.

As the inaugural national flagship store of the exceptional Chinese lifestyle brand "nice rice," this establishment embodies simplicity and versatility while celebrating the subtleties of oriental culture.

Nestled on Huaihai Road (M.), a crossroads of Chinese and Western cultures, this location serves as a hub for cultural, artistic, and everyday life. It particularly resonates with the cultural sensibilities of the younger generation.

The roof, an iconic feature of traditional Chinese architecture often referred to as the "fifth elevation," symbolizes a unique cultural heritage refined over time. say architects have extended the traditional Chinese roof form into the interior, creating an inclusive and inviting "sanctuary" beneath the eaves.

This "sanctuary" concept aligns with the essence of the Oriental Rice Warehouse, historically used for storing rice, symbolizing inclusivity and the spirit of giving. It transforms the space into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange.

Symmetrically designed eaves balance the spatial facades, with mirrored double-sloped roofs on the outer facade, emphasizing visual harmony and balance. Original steps leading to the entrance add a sense of ceremony to entering this "rice warehouse."

The overall inward recess of the storefront provides ample outdoor space and serves as a street-facing display, blurring the lines between the fashion consumption scene. This highlights the intriguing and diverse aspects of the "fashion + coffee" dual-business model, attracting the attention and engagement of young people.

The grand eaves "envelope" creates a courtyard-like space within the entrance's concave gray area, forming a well-organized layout. The interconnected functional areas also create a circular flow within the consumption pathway.

Clearwater concrete serves as the primary tone for the space. say architects have ventured to incorporate Chinese intangible cultural heritage art into this youthful consumption scene. Collaborating with a lacquer artist, they have created the artwork One.

The piece cleverly utilizes eggshells as a canvas and embeds a maze-like, ever-changing yet elegant lacquer art on the neat rectangular blocks. This showcases the delicate fusion of Oriental charm and modern design, where simplicity is imbued with texture. The contrast between precision and ruggedness in material brings out subtle contrasts.

The space continues the brand's minimalist and clean design philosophy while subtly exuding an understated Oriental temperament. It externalizes the essence of culture in daily life, bridging the gap between people and tradition in a relaxed and intuitive artistic manner.

This space, beneath the eaves, not only provides an open social and consumption scene for the young population of the neighborhood but also presents a new interpretation of traditional culture from a youthful perspective. It blends tradition with modernity, giving new cultural connotations and contemporary characteristics to the area beneath the eaves – a symbol of openness, inclusivity, and harmony.

nice rice invites say architects to design a concept store in Chengdu, located in Chengdu’s Mixc City . Drinking tea and watching performances has always been a reflection of the lives of Chengdu people. Based on the urban temperament and brand language, say architects builds a white "stage" to capture the ever-changing aspects of Chengdu citizens.

The site is located on the first floor of the mall, with a relatively open outdoor seating area. It features a 14-meter-wide "stage" with a large display surface, creating a more direct interaction between the "stage" and the audience. Consumers are not only spectators but also actors themselves.

The stage is constructed with minimalist modern lines, reflecting a youthful and urban atmosphere. say architects transforms the eaves and corners of traditional stages into a more straightforward and smooth mirror-like canopy, resembling an open square box. Through the reflection of the mirrored canopy, the act of watching itself becomes dramatic.

The interior space adheres to the core of the brand's "simple but not ordinary details," using soft oak veneers to highlight the simplicity and harmonious tone of the stage, just like the minimalist daily products in Nice Rice, making it more accessible to people. Delicate divisions under the veneer create the texture of the stage, and the connecting lines on both sides of the walls add more detail to the selling area in the lobby.

The inspiration for the backdrop behind the cashier counter comes from the curtains of the stage. Each wooden panel is rounded and chamfered, with curved surfaces arranged and laid outwards. The soft finish softens the lines of the space, and people's gaze is naturally drawn to the center of the "stage".

As night falls, the center of the "stage" is illuminated by spotlights, and the curtains behind and the wall lamps on both sides gradually light up, as if it's the end of a performance. The sense of drama is left on the richly layered stage, and romance and poetic beauty continue to unfold here.

The new Shanghai CALVINLUO store is located on the bottom level of Shanghai Centre in the Jing'an district of Shanghai, with an area of approximately 140 square meters. Facing the challenge of how to ingeniously integrate CALVINLUO into the surrounding area filled with displays of luxury brands spanning two to three floors, became the task of shaping the new store.

CALVINLUO is a fashion brand founded by Luo Yucheng in New York in 2014, which pursues a young, delicate, practical style and follows a design philosophy that discovers the "life-oriented" perspective through new angles, committed to illuminating the dullness of everyday life for everyone.

Inspired by this philosophy, say architects believed that in an environment where every brand is eager to use large displays to showcase themselves, CALVINLUO's design should not rely solely on attention-grabbing scale, but rather should create a homely, welcoming atmosphere for every customer, and thus, the understated and restrained "CASA CALVINLUO" was born, to create a brand home that is uniquely their own.

The architectural exterior of CASA is created with simple and clean black lacquered glass, and the black glossy metal strips are used to close the joints. The combination of the glossy lacquered glass and the stony texture of the black and white marble presents a delicate and sharp temperament from the materials.

Each window design has a customized canopy and wall lamp, ensuring that each window can fully demonstrate the "home scene."

The space still uses black and red as the main color scheme. The strong contrast between black and red, and the smooth and glossy texture of the materials can reveal the brand's attitude from the moment of entering the space.

The interior is divided into three functional areas: the dining room, the art lounge, and the walk-in closet, which are arranged in an "L" shape. The dining room and the art lounge areas are clearly visible from the windows along the street.

The walk-in closet is "hidden" at the back of the space, and the closet space surrounded by three display surfaces and the black and white checkered floor tiles create a conflicting feeling, making the overall space more layered.

say architects drew inspiration from CALVINLUO's fashion elements to infuse more details into the space, transforming the brand's strong and sharp tailoring lines and metal buckles into matching design language.

From the straight expression of the overall space lines to the intricate rectangular metal cuts on the entrance door handle, as well as the left and right ends of the display clothes rail taking shape from the brand's iconic square metal buckles, the fine details of the clothing are presented in the space.

The simple and powerful architectural space serves as a background, while the artful home decor serves as a balance to the space.

The art living room features the CATARACT CHAIR and FLOOR LAMP IV designed by RAKA STUDIO, and the twisting and swirling natural white wax wood contains a soft and flowing emotion, perfectly conveying a dual expression of granite straightness and sensual beauty.