Excerpt: YEK Shanghai Pop-up Store, an interior design project by Say Architects, transforms retail into an amusing playground for kid slashers. Centered around the “/” symbol, a lightweight metal pipe weaves through the space like a rollercoaster, forming slides, racks, and frames. This distinctive structure blends function with fun, inviting kids to explore freely while reflecting their vibrant, diverse lifestyles with creativity and joy.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] YEK launched a pop-up store in Shanghai, serving as an offline stage for kid slashers. Say integrated the diverse lifestyle of kids slashers into space design, transforming a shopping scene into a vibrant leisure scene through the “/” symbol, creating an amusing playground for slashers.
The space reimagined, magnifies the “/” symbol, turning it into a sleek, lightweight metal pipe that weaves through the environment, drawn from the boundless imagination and vibrant energy of children, leaving a jubilant trace. The metal pipe undulates and intertwines, forming a series of slides, rollercoaster-like curves, and climbing frames. Seen through the lens of a child’s eyes, sparks of inspiration travel along this path, blooming inward as they go. Each stop becomes a functional element: display counter, shelving units and fitting rooms.
The hand-craft metal pipe allows high flexibility and more creative potential, while more design thinking lies in the thoughtful details. Driven from the curve of a roller coaster, the central meandering clothing racks have slots for hanging. Every bend and turns were infused with the brand’s spirit, showing precise and distinctive craftsmanship. Movable tablets are placed in both the fitting room and central display for more outfit inspiration.
The original site is located in the atrium of a shopping mall, with an open ceiling, and lacquered aluminium-made grid panels curved allowing natural light to flow into the space. Light fixtures are discreetly integrated within the aluminium panels, minimizing visual clutter and eliminating the need for excessive ornamentation. This approach creates a clean, refined atmosphere that emphasizes simplicity and a return to essentials.
The path of growth is a curvy journey full of surprises with initiative climbs and brave slumps, where every rise and fall traces the course of exploration. A single “/” metal rod threads together all kinds of facets of a kid slasher’s life. Here in this playground built with imagination, Say encourages children to roam and explore, embracing their individuality with freedom, joy and endless sense of wonder.
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