Leaping Creative have created a“HEYTEA inspired flagship store” in Xi’an: a new experiential space located near the Xi’an City Wall of Yongning Gate. We anticipate it will provide a combination of Xi’an’s regional culture and a new tea-drinking lifestyle.

The historic city wall is just across the street from this flagship store, so we incorporated “exploration and harmony” into the core of our design. The designer conceived of a store facade that is light, transparent and as large as possible to match the city wall. 

In ancient times, the city wall of Xi’an was used to physically separate the interior of the city from the exterior. With the modern fog-faced stainless steel and large floor-to-ceiling glazing, the outer side of the boundary wall visually echoes the city wall. The shadow of the trees reflected on the wall is mottled, and the interior and exterior landscape blend seamlessly, hiding the boundary between the two. 

The interior of the space is dominated by the sandstone yellow prominent in Xi’ an, which is then embellished with silver gray and bright yellow. The bright yellow serves as a metaphor for the ancient city wall and the royal capital, while the silver gray represents a keen sense of the future. At the entrance of the store, the order counter has a futuristic, metallic look and is placed in the center. The typically narrow unit has been enlarged and made to be curved with circular components added so as to present a friendly interface that allows customers to feel welcome. In addition, the order desk and the pick-up area are separate, optimizing the experience of both. 

The inner side of the boundary wall faces a long and narrow space. In this limited area, the metal wall is used as a functional space partition as well as a source of experience scenarios and potential mood shifts. There is an iconic arch encased in metal, like a portal to another time and space. Passing through this arch and entering the inner space, customers are greeted by custom-made and handmade yellow bricks. The raised dots processed along the mold may remind customers of the scale dots found only on the armor of Qin-dynasty Terracotta Warriors, conveying an abstract image of history and culture. 

In front of the metal partition wall is a set of irregularly shaped furniture, which is composed of translucent yellow resin and weathered cave stone. The patterns on the seat fabric are inspired by the weaving totems and other elements found in a scroll depicting the Silk Road. Sunlight flowing through the floor-to-ceiling glazing illuminates the yellow walls, creating a geometric shape with light and shade that changes according to the angle of the sunlight. 

The tables and chairs in the store’s exterior area are processed by using a large plane cutting technique, and the tables are made with a transparent yellow resin. The effect of this design is that as the golden sunlight gradually illuminates the city wall, a dreamlike space materializes near the wall.