CLOU’s interior design of Chaowai’s House of Jewellery takes inspiration from traditional department stores of the 1920’s.

Our ambition was to revive some of the undisputed qualities of these early department stores without being derivative to the style of the time.
Three levels of the four-story building are now home to 3200 sqm of jewellery boutiques and 400 linear meters of jewellery counters for individual vendors.

“We looked at Art Deco department store interiors like the Bullocks Wilshire Perfume Hall in Los Angeles for inspiration. We picked two of the period's characteristic materials, natural stone and stainless steel, creating a modernized sense of opulence which would not be thought of as vintage,” says Christian Taeubert, Director of CLOU architects.

Jewellery counters have been customized in various tones of anodized, corrugated steel in combination with a range of natural stone selections creating an individual appeal on each floor. Custom made ceiling objects take a reference to diamond cuts with their chamfered edges while filtering down-light through their perforated volumes.

The well-arranged layout of jewellery counters provides a basic framework for movement and way-finding to the customer. The wide-ranging customization of furniture, ceiling ornaments and stone patterns create an environment which encourages real, tangible discovery and interaction with the merchandise on offer.