Alex Yang is partner and creative director at MOC Design Office in Shenzhen, China. In this interview with FRAME, Yang discusses why observation is key in his designs, the driving force behind retail’s shift towards experience and how retailers can cultivate organic communities.

You studied environmental art and design, architecture and engineering management. How does your multidisciplinary background impact your scope of work? 

ALEX YANG: In a sense, we can influence people's emotions and experiences by shaping the environment. Spatial design is a multidisciplinary field that requires coordination in various aspects, which for me, extends beyond specific areas like architecture, interior, landscape, materials and project management. This demands designers to scrutinize proposals from different perspectives. Rational collaboration with various professional teams and engineers is necessary to achieve a balance between aesthetics, functionality and construction.

Alex Yang.

During the design process, we emphasize how space affects people's emotions, but realizing this seemingly emotional goal requires rational and professional efforts. These diverse professional fields cover every aspect from design to construction, aiding in a more comprehensive planning of projects in the early design stages, allowing for bolder imaginings of the final project outcome.

MOC Design creates and innovates spaces of different typologies. How do you conceptualize these vastly different designs? 

I believe that the more accurate expression for what is traditionally known as interior design should be interior decoration. This no longer aligns with the requirements of our projects. We define our work as spatial design, encompassing not only architecture, interior and installations but also extending to the design of furniture and products based on spatial concepts.

Photos: Nie Xiaocong.

Cover and above: The Whirlpool House in Foshan, China, prioritizes immersive, interactive displays that allow consumers to gain a more direct understanding of the brand and products. The ‘Mirror in the Sky’ architectural element communicates the brand’s technological approach and values.

The company's name reflects our working methodology, with MOC derived from three words: mood, observation and creativity. For designers, maintaining curiosity and keen observation is crucial, whether it's regarding brand spirit, consumer habits, site characteristics, cultural integration within the city or even user reviews and critiques.

Photos: Nie Xiaocong.

Drawing on local cultural influences and the brand’s identity, the electric car brand NIO’s showroom in Changsha incorporates natural textures to create a soft, warm space.

For one project, the owner of the space took us to view a low-ceiling space beneath a driveway. Despite Shenzhen's warm winter, the site remained cool. Standing there, I imagined the feeling of sitting in a shaded courtyard, enjoying the sunshine. This led to the natural creation of a sunken courtyard café with tiered seating. It can be said that the element of ‘observation’ runs through almost every aspect of our work. 

What is the main driving force behind the evolution of retail into experience-based spaces? 

Through China’s rapid development, we’ve observed multiple iterations in the consumer model first focused on single product sales to a brand and service approach. In today's market environment, we embrace the guiding principle of space as intellectual property. This emphasizes that space is not merely a physical entity but a creative, unique and brand-spirited creation. Brands no longer connect with customers solely through individual products but establish connections around various aspects of users' lives, anchored by the spatial environment. 

How do you express brand distinctiveness in your designs? What role does the integration of local cultural elements play?

The integration of local cultural elements with the brand is not a rigid assimilation but a selective combination of local characteristics that align with the brand culture. At the ZEEKR Center in Wangfujing, Beijing, we integrated a ‘glocal’ design concept, combining global and local influences.

Photos: Nie Xiaocong.

The ZEEKR showroom in Beijing employs a ‘glocal’ design concept, combining global and local influences while also articulating the brand’s technology-driven approach.

The project site is situated on the historic Wangfujing Street with a century-old history. We extracted traditional architectural elements such as red walls and blue tiles. On the connecting surfaces of the first and second floors, curved laminated glass responds to the brilliance of glazed tiles through lighting. Using a modern design language, we achieved a seamless connection between the international exhibition hall and local cultural elements. The red wall partitions and symmetrical layout in the lounge area respond to the city's culture, incorporating traditional mortise and tenon elements into furniture design for the project. An art gallery area has been set up to showcase user photography, enhancing the brand-user relationship through these interactive displays.

How is this theme of community present in other spaces you’ve designed, like the Sixty-six brand store in Shenzhen?

At the time, our client desired an indoor skateboard facility to address the limitations of outdoor activities caused by the local hot climate. During the initial research phase, we noticed that skateboard enthusiasts frequently gathered around the skate ramps. The adjacent cafes and other commercial spaces had become social hubs for them. Additionally, various skateboard culture-related clothing and accessory stores, including our client's, regularly organized skateboard-themed events. Over time, this area evolved into a commercial hub for skateboard culture and a social gathering place for skateboard players.

Photo: Nie Xiaocong.

Moc Design Office’s store design for local brand Sixty-six taps into the fun of skateboarding and surfskating in its Shenzhen store which carves out a community-specific area for people to come together offline, putting product sales secondary to connection.

Inspired by this naturally formed community, we incorporated community-oriented elements. We designed a circular skate ramp within the space, with tiered seating in the middle for both leisure and events. Along the perimeter of the skate ramp, we integrated coffee services and a retail area for skateboard culture products. Extending beyond the venue, we planned outdoor seating for relaxation. This design allowed social scenes to initially focus on skateboarding within the central ramp area and gradually expand outward to include trendy culture and leisure activities. Consequently, a social hub emerged, bringing people together around a shared interest.