Sò Studio has developed an ethereal collage of materials and juxtaposed objects for Looknow’s new Beijing store. Pursuing the concept of a ‘Newborn Island’, the studio created a series of divisions within the interior to align with the brand’s new store typology of a ‘shop-within-a-shop’.

A condensed hollow ceiling with a series of circular openings was inserted to represent different islands. Contrasted textured floors form uncanny boundaries, unfolding in a scattered and curiosity-inducing composition.

The first hints of the interior are suggested by the mosaic floor pavement, offering a clue to a ‘dilapidated city’ beyond. Broken columns and tilted sculptures create a surreal sense of scale while layered materials and colour palettes reference montage scenes—capturing a collage of views.

Surreal Classicism: Maó Space by One Fine Day Studio & Partners.Projects that strike me the most are the ones that manage to masterfully shift our perception of time. Spaces that feel unique because they look like they don’t belong in the present, nor the past.

So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 01 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 02 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 03 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 04 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 05 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 06 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 07 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 08 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 09 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 10 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 11 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 12 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 13 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 14 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 15 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 16 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 17 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 18 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 19 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 20 So Studio Looknow Beijing Flagship Fashion Retail Photo Zhu Runzi Yellowtrace 21

The designers applied a “superposition, re-analysis, and collage” method to different areas, creating new meanings while paying tribute to the values that have defined Looknow stores since its institution.

Irregular LED screens have been installed in the centre of the store, vividly showing several consecutive images of dilapidated city ruins. An installation of oversized tilted floating units made of semi-transparent fibreglass with an unpolished surface only adds to the tactile experience.

In the sunken ‘sunshine room’ the ceiling and upper walls are embedded with wall washing lamps, casting the space in ample light. A sense of layering and contrast has been generated by the extension of the patterned carpet to the lower part of the wall. Together with the carefully planned circulation and the lighting scheme, the space acts as a final focal point of the meticulously curated retail experience.

Artist in Residence: LOOKNOW Flagship Store by Sò Studio.Capturing the vibrancy of Shanghai’s Xintiandi area, the latest flagship store invites customers into the creative process through a menagerie of art, objects and texture...

[Images courtesy of Sò Studio. Photography by Zhu Runzi.]