The Chengu location, on the ground floor of a busy shopping mall, spans two floors with a brutalist concrete and glass facade. Brutalism, with its rejection of nostalgia, perfectly balances the metaphor of a journey and rich history of the area.
Like standing at the start of a winding mountainous path, the exterior facade leaves almost everything to the imagination. There are hints of green plants on the second floor, flashes of light filtering through the blocked grid. The facade functions like a cage around the space itself, a powerful, beautiful obstacle.
Once inside, the evolution of the brand, the customer journey, and the
shudao become clear. In the centre of the store, shoppers are greeted by a huge, ascending path – the
shudao. Three unique routes all lead to a centralized high point. As guests walk up the slope, products are easily discoverable stored in open-faced table-like structures that follow the slope of the path upward.
Its sides are textured with Steel racks and provide more opportunities for shoppers to engage with products. The steel shelving, textured stucco above and stainless steel walls call back the chic, uncluttered unity of the other stores, without infringing on this new brand iteration.
While Li Bai might agree, this path is much easier to climb than his ancient
shudao, shoppers on a mission will note there is a shortcut via a circular staircase to the gallery-like second floor.
