The new store's design is based on the brand's DNA. Breaking away from conventional commercial designs, the design team adopted warm-toned lighting, textures and diverse spatial languages, focused on users' natural experiences at indoor and outdoor spaces, and meanwhile emphasized functionality and a vibe that fits in with the user community, with a goal to create a "spiritual" destination for snow enthusiasts. Brave adventurers would get fully equipped and take it as an opportunity for starting a new journey of exploration. A warm-toned building glows gently like a campfire, brightening and warming up the snowy night.
Natural light randomly move in between wooden components, and cast a poetic scene of scattered light and shadows onto the walls. The circular veranda is a transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces, helping block out the freezing winds and snow from the outside and meanwhile bring in the varying natural views through a large area of French windows. Warmth and coolness, brightness and darkness, nature and the artificial are separated yet connected by the veranda, which blurs the boundary of space.
The enclosed bar counter acts as a hub for interaction. Irregular organic lines stretch from its middle upwards to the "glacier", revealing sophisticated craftsmanship. The "glacier" installation is made of acrylic. The design team firstly carved a model with foam, and repeatedly adjusted it and tested the light effect, to obtain a natural, authentic form. The last step was the pouring process, which needed to minimize bubbles and voids. The finished work was transported northwards from a factory in southern China to the site, where it fully integrates into the snowy setting.
The interior space continues the wooden texture of the facade. It's also defined by neat lines and blocks, as well as contrasting materials and colors, which together produce a sense of order and blur the spatial boundaries. The warm tone generates a welcoming atmosphere for snow sports enthusiasts. The three-dimensional folding ceiling structures and the pale-hued fabric curtain that simulates the texture of camping tents soften the light in the space, and create an easeful experience like resting in a tent outdoors. With the "glacier" installation as a boundary, the space features a smooth and clear circulation route. The area from the entrance to the foyer is a retail zone.
Unlike most retail stores that seek maximized sales per square foot, the client insisted that no more than one third of the site should be used for sales, hoping to leave more space for customers to experience the brand. Acrylic partitions refract the light, creating a soft effect. The hanging racks refer to the unique design of the brand's factory in Canada, with their industrial metallic texture balancing with the spatial tone. The customized cabinets are movable, making it possible to adjust the spatial pattern according to light conditions and create changeable scenes flexibly.
Arc'teryx BDH Academy Store
STILL YOUNG

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Location
Designer
Client
Arc'teryx
Floor area
464 ㎡
Completion
2022
Accessories