Architect：3Gatti

Location：Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; | ;

Project Year：2012

Category：Shops

D2C is a multi brand platform where to buy the most interesting international fashion brands on the internet and now also on a physical space, a challenging physical space.

Volcanic Slab is an existing building slab reshaped with volcanic energy to accommodate two floors of retail space.The concept is as simple as this but create a very intricate and complex labyrinthic space that will challenge your shopping experience.

This simple idea creates a very strong identity of the shop; even coming from the street is possible to see immediately the reshaped slab on the building façade. This squared skyline is not only a façade decoration but you will notice immediately from the glass window that is actually the shape of the slab that will continue inside the store. Entering from the ground floor will allow you to be under the squared slab, you will walk between the extruded volumes that come from the ceiling creating different functions depending on their shape and size; fitting rooms, cashier room, clothes or swing hangers areas or just simple screens and labyrinth walls that coming from the top never touch the ground.

Taking the stairs will allow you to go through the slab and understand its simple logic and identity; upstairs you will be able to walk on top of the volcanic formations,

challenged in a continuous up and down of steps and cubes that actually serves as

display area of the fashion products or in the biggest cases as fitting room. If you enter inside the extruded fitting room the space will be red like hot lava stored inside the slab.

In case you want to go to the toilet the challenge ratio increases considerably: behind the door you will find a curved rubberish wall impossible to pull or push but if you are smart enough you will discover that is the surface of a rotating cylindrical room. Sliding the wall will allow you to discover the hole-entrance where to go inside the circular space and the same hole if rotated again will make you discover before the toilet, after the sink and finally the entrance to the love room; a soft nest equipped with bar and condoms. I don’t need to say more.

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