'cosmetea' pop-up shop by nax architects appears as reflective time tunnel in shanghai

nax architects designed a pop-up shop, for tea cosmetics brand cosmetea, emerging as a reflective time tunnel on the streets of shanghai. the commission involved transforming a steamed dumpling shop on the corner of the historic yuyuan road, into a retail and exhibition pop-up store, as well as creating a brand-new scene that suits the urban lifestyle and shares the brand’s philosophy with the world. the concept draws influence from spatial design and brand planning, while following a more artistic approach to form an immersive experience for the customers. 

all images by raitt liu

for this project, the nax team took inspiration from cosmetea’s logo, which is based on a simplified image of a fairness cup, and resembles a pendulum with a time imprint, implying cosmetics users’ inner wish to hold on to the present, and slow down the passing of time. the logo’s pendulum image is internalized as a design language and starts with the façade being dramatically chiseled out to create a cave, extending to generate a 9-square-meter interior space and thus creating infinite possibilities within the limited spatial scale. 

as a result, the design creates a ‘time tunnel’  with a stainless steel mirror and LED string lights, combined with a large window to bring in urban and natural landscapes, while blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior. the hollow layer has pallets that are inserted into customized slots, in a sequence based on the principles of mortise and tenon structures. the wall cabinet can be used for product display and storage, and its surfaces are painted red to match the brand’s main color scheme. when stepping and walking on the glass floor, visitors will encounter a series of circles, and each circle represents a period of time during the past. th structure also incorporates drawers that visitors can rummage through to search for old items. 

‘the circular tunnel is like a wormhole that transcends time and space, and enables people to briefly escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life’ nax architects share. the entire design integrates creative visual and sensory aspects, as well as a conflict between past and future to portray a new sense of vitality. in the daytime, the store emerges as a friendly space with a childish sense of wonder, while at night, it resembles a mysterious urban lighthouse. both the project’s spatial characteristics and the overall experience that it provides help deepen the brand’s impression on its consumers, while reconsidering the relationship among city, nature, and people.

project info:

name: cosmetea pop-up shop
architect: nax architects
project team: lina chan, yiting ma, jo jiao 
client: shanghai chicmax cosmetics co., ltd 
location: yuyuan road, shanghai, china
area: 9 sqm 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom