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Dannong Store | The MixC Taiyuan

Luo Studio

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Someone organizing clothes - Jin Weiqi
Main entrance - Jin Weiqi
Overhead view of the store - Jin Weiqi
Someone organizing clothes - Jin Weiqi

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Single-Brand Store
7.50
7.45
7.90
7.15
7.5
Tetsuya Matsumoto
Tetsuya Matsumoto Head Architect at KTX archiLAB
6
8
6
5
6.25
Florian Seidl
Florian Seidl Design Manager at Lavazza
Very interesting concept. Wonder h...
7
6
8
8
7.25
Royce Epstein
Royce Epstein Design Director at Mohawk Group
clever...
6
7
6
8
6.75
Jaycee Chui
Jaycee Chui Founding partner at More design office
6
6
7
7
6.5
Simona Franci
Simona Franci Principal and Design Director at Fortebis
Beautiful use of material and desig...
7
9
9
9
8.5
Matteo Renna
Matteo Renna Founder at matteorenna | studio
7
8
8
7
7.5
Jelle Sapulete
Jelle Sapulete Design Director at Adidas
6
6
6
6
6
Judith Haase
Judith Haase Architect at Gonzalez Haase AAS
6
7
7
7
6.75
P.C.Ee
P.C.Ee Editor & Creative Director at industry+
6
8
6
7
6.75
Julie Payette
Julie Payette Cofounder and Partner at v2com newswire
7
8
8
8
7.75
Shannon Pringle
Shannon Pringle Interior Designer at Bernardon
9
8
9
10
9
darren nolan
darren nolan Associate at Peter Marino Architect
6
7
6
8
6.75
alberto caiola
alberto caiola Design Director at Alberto Caiola Studio
6
7
6
7
6.5
Justin Bridgland
Justin Bridgland Founding Partner at More Design Office
Nice concept, elegantly realized w...
9
9
9
10
9.25
Nic Lee
Nic Lee Design Director at Waterfrom Design Co., Ltd
10
9
10
9
9.5
Designer
Client
Dannong
Floor area
172 ㎡
Completion
2024

Orthogonal wooden frames have long been the primary structural prototype for Eastern palaces, temples, and residences. Shanxi is an important preservation site for ancient Chinese wooden architecture, boasting numerous traditional wooden buildings. These enduring structures subtly preserve Eastern architectural traditions.

Dannong, a clothing brand deeply rooted in Eastern aesthetics, has many stores across China. As the brand expands into Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, how should the store space be designed to display its garments? How can the space coexist harmoniously with its context? These are the key considerations for the project.

Frame and Garment
When analyzing traditional Eastern wooden frames from both plane and section views, their orthogonal structure—comprising vertical and horizontal elements—becomes clear. From a graphical perspective, both the vertical and horizontal components are essentially "lines," and the way garments are hung follows a similar linear form. These two elements—structural lines and linear hanging of clothes—are naturally aligned to some extent.

The project is situated within an urban shopping mall featuring a concrete-frame structure. The design team sought to integrate a traditional wooden frame structure within this modern industrial framework, creating a dialogue with Taiyuan's rich wooden architecture heritage. The existing column span configuration of the space dictates that a wooden frame with three bays and four column spans is the ideal spatial arrangement for the store.

Heaviness and Lightness
Traditional Shanxi wooden buildings are characterized by their robust, thick beams, which convey a sense of material weight and presence. A notable example is the wing hall of Foguang Temple, built during the Jin Dynasty. To install the timber beams, workers first piled soil beneath and used it to leverage the beams into position, a testament of the weight of the wood.

In this project, the selection of thick wooden beams follows this principle. The weight of these beams creates a stark contrast with the garments hung below, where fabric is light, soft, and delicate. The substantial wooden beams and the thin, lightweight fabric together enhance the sensory experience of both materials. While the beams seem to "hold" the garments, the design also subtly mirrors Dannong's approach to garment-making—meticulous craftsmanship, perfection and high quality.

The Art of Mortise and Tenon Joints
Mortise and tenon joint is a hallmark of Eastern craftsmanship, embodying both wisdom and creativity. The designers sought to implement this ancient technique, blurring the boundaries between large and small wooden elements. Functionally, the garment rails are small wooden components, while the concrete columns rooted in the floor and the upper wooden columns incorporate four types of tenons. The joining of columns and beams, along with the interconnection between beams, demonstrates Eastern mortise-and-tenon construction tech.