World-leading drone manufacturer DJI has opened its largest flagship store to date in a former tourist centre in Shenzhen, China. Design studio Various Associates tapped into the existing structure’s bold features in its reuse approach.

Key features

Occupying a freestanding structure originally designed as a visitor centre, DJI’s Shenzhen store had to undergo interior changes to facilitate the building’s new retail function. The store accommodates various activities, from traditional product browsing on the ground floor to more immersive, hands-on experiences on the upper floors. A landscaped outdoor environment is accessible from the top of the central staircase. Here, visitors can try out drones from the shop floor, enjoy views of the bay and walk up and down the grassy terrain. Moving to the second floor from here was not possible in the original building, so Various Associates introduced a new staircase. In doing this, the designers allow the central staircase to become a wayfinding element across the building’s four floors and grant visitors more autonomy in their shopping journey.

The pre-existing building has a clear visual language, defined by geometric, slanted walls and large glazed openings. These generous windows, while flooding the space with light, present issues regarding overheating and glare. In response to these conditions, the designer added a new layer to the inner surface of the walls and ceiling – a second ‘architectural skin’. This metallic grille structure helps diffuse light and houses hidden speakers and vents, referencing the innovative materials and technologies employed by the drone company.

FRAME’s take

Many striking examples of adaptive reuse, such as the Campana del Rey bar, are defined by visual dialogues between the old and the new. Certain parts of the building are usually left untouched, while others might be infused with a more contemporary character using lightweight interventions that can be read in the space.

With DJI’s flagship store in Shenzhen, Various Associates does something a little different. The studio taps into the existing aesthetic of the former tourist centre and appropriates its highly geometric form in its spatial additions, comprising the new staircase and ceiling, which are integrated with the existing structure to produce an environment where old and new cannot as easily be discerned. Instead, these elements support changing spatial requirements, mitigate environmental concerns and reflect the future-facing, innovative technologies employed by DJI. Various Associates demonstrates that adaptive reuse isn’t only for century-old buildings. The reality is that 21st-century buildings are at risk of demolition, too, and preservation is vital to minimizing environmental damage from new construction while ensuring people’s changing urban needs are accommodated over time.