Neri&Hu creates "wooden hut" and "cave-dwelling" interiors for Shanghai stores

Chinese studio Neri&Hu has completed two retail spaces for Shanghai fashion company Jisifang, using wood and concrete to evoke "a more primitive state of being".

The two adjacent stores are located at Panlong Tiandi development in Shanghai. One was designed for Jisifang Boutique and the other for its sister brand Woven Moonlight, also owned by Jisifang.

According to the Shanghai-based studio, each store was tailored to its distinct brand identities and varying spatial requirements.

A wooden house was inserted into the 110-square-metre Jisifang Boutique, the sloping roof of which takes advantage of the full height space to create a "spacious sanctuary", the studio said.

"The design concept is inspired by French architecture theorist Marc-Antoine Laugier's Primitive Hut, said to be the fundamental prototype of all architecture," explained Neri&Hu.

"Stripped of decoration and style, the primitive hut establishes a relationship between humans and the natural world, providing both shelter and a connection to nature," it added.

A long table and benches made of white oak are placed at the centre of the space, with fashion garments displayed at the lower end of both sides of the roof.

Handmade ceramic floor tiles with muted colours were used throughout the space, referencing the warm and natural textures of the linen products that the brand is known for.

The facade features glass bricks lined with rustic metal elements, inviting natural light and framing views of the bustling retail street outside into the shop.

In contrast, Neri&Hu created a cave-like shelter made of concrete for the 200-square-metre Woven Moonlight.

Concrete walls enclose the main display area, which features carved-out display niches. These have been lined with translucent linen curtains and fitted with custom-built walnut cabinetry, contrasting the roughness of the concrete.

A double-pitch sloped ceiling was clad with the same concrete as the walls. Skylights on the ceiling, as well as full-height glass windows on one side, fill the space with plenty of natural light.

"In the case of both the wooden hut and the cave-dwelling, we are exploring the original space of our humanity, harkening a return to a more primitive state of being," said Neri&Hu.

"We hope that when people touch the linen fabric of Jisifang, their mood and spirit may transcend the urban environment, back to nature," it continued.

Neri&Hu was founded by architects Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu in 2004 in Shanghai.

The studio also recently completed a simplicity contemporary art gallery, and a fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens, both in Shanghai.

The photography is by Pedro Pegenaute.

Project credits:

Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Associate-in-charge: Siyu Chen
Design team: Greg Wu, Jinghan Li, Nicolas Fardet, Saint Xu, Shuan Wu, Yinan Zhu, Yoki Yu
FF&E design and procurement: Design Republic
Lighting Consultant: DLX Lighting Design
Contractor: Nantong Huaqiang Construction

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