H.N.LIN Design Center JULU758 showroom

Background Founded in 1978, Tai pei, H.N.LIN Design Center has been importing first-class furniture from all over the world for more than 40 years. In 2019, H.N.LIN Design Center opens a new showroom in the downtown of Shanghai, JULU 758, the essential area where the culture and commercial meets. Besides showcases world famous brands like Cassina, Baxter, Henge, Depadova, the new exhibiting space also integrates art gallery and salon together. The design is to create an imaginative living scene to resonate with the visitors to the love of life. Renovation The buildings- group was used to be part of the former instrument and meter plant, which consists 4 separated buildings, and each of the buildings has its own height, dimension and inner structure, among which the main building was the oldest one built on reinforced-concrete structure, while the others were brick structure. The different heights of the 4 buildings are remained which brings lots of diversity into the integrated space after the renovation. Challenge The challenge of reusing these 4 buildings as a brand new showroom, is to integrate a multi-functional space which can integrate the retail space, art gallery as well as a lifestyle salon together. “The visual effect is the only result shown in the end, but not the design goal. What we designed here is to show how the space can communicate the visitors through the natural lights, historical walls and bushy greens etc., which create an outdoor feeling for the interior. The relaxed atmosphere helps the whole space making up an innovated showroom. The axis The main axis connects the 4 buildings with stairs as a transaction, above which the glass rooftop introduces rich natural light into the main hall, also provides an open volume to other connected rooms. All the walls are taken besides the load bearing walls for more flexible usage, the axis also provides the indication of the 4 parts of the buildings-group, while the 4 buildings are proper divided, at the same time well connected. Design goal The furniture, art pieces speak themselves, so the design is aiming to present an stage and atmosphere rather than restrain the space as a fixed box. “As a designer, you should separate those what is in control and what is beyond control, and let them to be what they should be.” The reuse design both the architectural and interior are to response to the visitors and brings up their consciousness of pursuing happy and beautiful life. Materials The staircase is one of the highlights of the buildings, creates a combination of virtual and real visual experience where visitors like to stop for taking photos. The staircase connects first floor to second floor, made from carbonized wood and Polished mirror effect stainless steel. The floors are extended with different materials to indicate different space, with PANDOMO from German on the first floor and CEPPP STONE on the second floor. In addition to the staircase, the plants in the atrium are also the highlight of the design. The designer hopes to create the feeling of "urban jungle", evoke visitor's emotion, and trigger visitor's thoughts about the urban life and the natural environment.