Leaping Creative conceives an experiential scenario of Chinese aesthetics in Florasis’s first flagship store

The concept of "Chinese aesthetics" has been constantly updated as new consumption brands and consumers emerge. To give a more comprehensive brand image to users, brands' interpretation of Chinese culture has progressed from product packaging design to traditional culture revival and Chinese romance experience. In such a context, offline retail offers an opportunity to implement an innovative way for these developments.

Florasis's first global flagship store, Hidden Garden, is situated near West Lake in Hangzhou. Leaping Creative conceived an immersive experiential scenario by utilizing their signature design approach, and imagined the interactive installations and display props in addition to the space. Working closely with several departments within Florasis and drawing on the brand's DNA rooted in Chinese culture, the design team innovatively blended Chinese aesthetics into a new retail space.

Translation of Brand Symbols
Leaping Creative intended to strike a balance between minimalism and sophistication to create a new retail space that conveys Chinese aesthetics while still appealing to young consumers. Meanwhile, the design team incorporated an immersive scenario into the interior, to create a distinctive offline store for Florasis. Florasis takes its color palette from a dark cyan natural pigment used to paint eyebrows in ancient China. The logo draws inspiration from traditional Chinese garden windows, while the brand symbol incorporates the image of two lotus flowers growing on one stem, signifying the coexistence of old and new. These visual elements are translated into the exterior and interior design of the flagship store to ensure consistency with the brand's visual identity.

The store’s facade takes design cues from four different patterns of ancient Chinese garden windows, which are thoughtfully combined with each other. Perforated panels are used to bring natural light into the space, creating an ingenious display of light and shadow that projects “ink paintings” onto even wall surfaces. This artful technique captures the humanistic spirit of traditional Chinese landscape paintings, and also reminds of the beauty of the nearby West Lake. Leaping Creative translated Florasis's distinctive window-shaped logo into three-dimensional units using modern design techniques. These units are incorporated into various display fixtures throughout the store and integrated into the space's overall design in different forms. The innovative use of the window elements brings consistency in the functionality and appearance of the space and establishes a memorable brand identity.

After conducting numerous tests on different materials, the design team ultimately decided to use resin glass, a material that is highly plastic, in combination with the window patterns. This approach not only endows the space with a stylish, crystal-like appearance, but also gives it a touch of Chinese elegance.

A spatial layout inspired by traditional Chinese gardens
The design team referred to the layout of traditional Chinese gardens, where a private courtyard is located in the inner area and a more open courtyard set in the outer area. By adapting this concept to the existing spatial structure and functional requirements of the store, the designers created a dynamic, interactive retail space on the lower floor, and a more tranquil space on the upper floor, which offers private experience and customized services. The two spaces are connected by a graceful spiral staircase. The spatial layout generates the form of a traditional Chinese garden, but to imbue the space with a unique ambience, there is more to do.

As ancient Chinese poet Su Shi once portrayed in his poem, in sunny days, the West Lake ripples and glistens with sunlight, while in rainy days, it presents a hazy aesthetic as its surrounding landscape is enveloped in ethereal mist. Through the combination of different materials textures, Leaping Creative flooded the space with the stunning beauty of the glistening lake and the ethereal sense of poetry, creating a space where visitors can find distinct perspectives at every step and feel like touring in a garden.

Storytelling experience
Leaping Creative incorporated multiple functions, such as viewing, interaction, and makeup experience, into a single retail space. With an emphasis on experiential services, the design innovatively enriches the retail space, and creates a circulation route that offers a garden tour experience. Upon entering the corridor from the frontage, visitors embark on a storytelling journey. The corridor acts as a prelude to the experiential narrative, and a buffer for mood transition. As soon as visitors step into the interior, they are greeted by a flower-themed makeup workshop inspired by traditional Chinese medicine cabinets. In this space, visitors are invited to see how skin-friendly nutrients from flowers are extracted through “extraction installation” and made into beauty products.

Based on the store's spatial layout, the upper floor is designated for more intimate and personalized experiences, with a shift in spatial atmosphere from contemporary and vibrant to tranquil and elegant. It offers visitors the chance to engage in Chinese-style makeup experience and socialize with their companions. The second floor mainly accommodates a jewelry customization service area, a product customization zone, a makeup experience zone, and an immersive theater where VIP customers can partake in various events.

The second floor features arc-shaped walls inspired by one of the strokes of the Chinese character "花", which is part of Florasis's Chinese name. The stroke is transformed into a three-dimensional shape, which is then combined with traditional Chinese screens to form a design language for the walls and display partitions.

The modern design language imbues a new form and aesthetic to traditional Chinese elements.

Immersive theater where VIP customers can partake in various events

At the end of the tour, visitors are led into a void space where a hollowed traditional Chinese garden window brings in the outside natural scenery. This creates a subtle interplay of solidity and void, silence, and motion in the space.

Team:
Design Company: Leaping Creative
Design Director: Zen Zheng
Experience strategy: CC Chen
Designers: Xiaowen Chen, Mindong Zeng, Jianhua Ye, Xufeng Zhang, Zuotao Luo, Zijun Luo, AIlian Wang, Qianhui Yao, Shuduan Lin, Yinjie Li
Management Team: Weizhen Tan, Liwei Chen, Zixin Huang, Tianwei Luo, Boquan Yu
Client: Florasis
Photography: Florasis © SFAP