CHIO'2ND Flagship Store

CHIO'2ND Hangzhou Flagship: The Spatial Translation of a Digital Brand

Situated in Hangzhou, a historically important city and former capital during the Song Dynasty, the design responds directly to the brand's birthplace and the city's cultural context. STUDIO 4/301 undertook research into landscape artefacts and visual traditions of the period, with particular reference to Guo Xi's Early Spring. Beyond its status as a canonical landscape painting, the work constructs a philosophical understanding of nature through shifting atmospheres, seasonal transition, and the measured relationship between human presence and monumental terrain. These principles were abstracted and translated into the spatial organisation and material language of the interior, forming an environment that aligns historical sensibility with the contemporary identity of the brand.

Following extensive coordination with the contractor, STUDIO 4/301 realised two monumental, mountain-like display volumes at the centre of the store. Formed from layered, hand-shaped local stone and solid wood, the sculptural structures evoke geological stratification while operating as multi-level display platforms. Their placement deliberately disrupts conventional retail circulation, encouraging fragmented movement and a more exploratory spatial experience.

Behind the two primary display islands, a pavilion structure unfolds as a transitional architectural element. Enclosed by angled timber fins and roofed with natural bamboo, the pavilion introduces a layered spatial rhythm within the store. As customers move through this zone, shifting light and shadow are cast through the timber fins, producing a dynamic sensory experience that recalls the atmospheric qualities of traditional landscape imagery.

At the rear of the pavilion, the concept of the teahouse depicted in Early Spring is subtly reinterpreted. A tilted timber roof and a raised platform lower the ceiling height, creating a more intimate and contemplative spatial condition. Emissive textured acrylic panels are carefully controlled by a timber grid, contributing to a warm and restrained ambience. This harmony is intentionally contrasted by a stainless steel display cabinet with patterned mirrored surfaces, which introduces a contemporary disruption and presents the products with heightened visual emphasis. The narrow passage between the pavilion and the teahouse is further enriched by the juxtaposition of the two distinct roof geometries, intensifying the spatial transition.

Beyond the primary display zones, a more secluded area is positioned at the rear of the store. This quieter space features timber cabinetry crafted from the same solid wood used throughout the interior, inset with rusted mirror panels. A subdued lighting scheme lends the area a more mysterious and introspective atmosphere. Reserved for limited and last-piece products, this zone functions as a concealed destination, echoing the experiential narrative of Early Spring, where moments of discovery unfold gradually within the landscape.

The stones were sourced from the local province and developed through close collaboration with suppliers, combining algorithmic processes with hand-sculpting techniques. Traditional stick-rice mortar, historically used in ancient city wall construction, was reinterpreted as the grouting medium between stone layers, embedding regional material knowledge within a contemporary retail environment.

These interior landscapes are carefully framed within deliberate proportions behind the façade. Tilted fins subtly screen passers-by, limiting direct views while allowing glimpses of the interior as one moves along the street. Upon arrival at the entrance, the full spatial composition is gradually revealed, reinforcing the project’s choreographed relationship between movement, perception, and landscape.

Project Name: CHIO'2ND Flagship Store
Project Location: Hangzhou
Gross Builing Area: 80 sqm

Design Firm: STUDIO 4/301
Designers: Richard Lau, Olivia Lu, Hardy Wong
Construction: Beijing Youlong Jinsheng
Photography: Yuuuund Studio