new haydon retail store opens in hangzhou
on the most commercial street of hangzhou, china, various associates has developed the new retail premises for the HAYDON cosmetics brand. since the company’s name means ‘black hole’ in chinese, the architects have formed a design language that expresses the collision, distortion, and free tension of the black hole’s gravity through flowing lines and unique circulations within the space. upward, diverging, reflective, and hanging forms paired with large areas of soft and pure color spread throughout the interiors. the swirling circulation routes guide customers, making their movement a visual highlight in the space.
all images courtesy of SFAP
light strips, arcs, and triangular mirrors
considering that the store’s surroundings include many globally-renowned flagship stores, various associates aimed to make HAYDON a distinctive, conspicuous yet restraining presence. drawing influence from concepts such as individuality and exploration, the design language integrates the misty, rainy characteristics of hangzhou with the distorted gravitational track from the black hole.
the architects have integrated elements like scattered light strips, linear pendant lights, curved walls, and a large staircase to narrate a story of exploring the unknown. when customers look up towards the newly installed mezzanine level, they find a space that looks like an interstellar track ascending layer by layer. light casts down from the gaps, and moves down along the arc-shaped walls with marvelous shadows. guided by the cashier’s counter and arc-shaped light strips, customers will arrive at the back shopping zone, where lights are mounted in arrays through customized grilles. the combination of arc-shaped showcases and continuous triangular mirrors allows customers to see themselves in the mirrors when trying cosmetics, while adding to the space-inspired look of the interior.
forming an aerospace-like environment
the ascending form of spatial structures is inspired by the broken bridge, a world-famous scenic spot in hangzhou. the bridge-like volume distorts and extends upwards through the black hole’s gravity, thus creating an ascending experience full of tension and strength. the bridge staircase shifts from big to small, from straight to curving, from bottom to top, and from bright to dark.
walking up along the spiral stairs, customers will gradually explore the mysterious upper space, which draws them in like a black hole. in order to create a misty, reflective, and soft ambiance in the space, the designers selected materials referring to the texture of aerospace material MLI. with a large area of silver foil setting the overall spatial tone, the pure, natural material textures create fantastic light changes and glittering effects through reflection and refraction. in various arc-shaped spatial volumes, the soft light under multiple reflections generates a pure sense of ritual. these volumes seem to be tough and powerful, but reveal softness and fluidity as customers walk inside, as if being standing in the misty rain.
an exploratory journey within HAYDON
all circulations in the space diverge around the HAYDON logo, which is placed at the darkest area of the store, guiding customers upstairs for further exploration. the layered mirrored glass panels on the second floor function as showcases and partitions, while the space behind can be used as a live-streaming setting or a cross-border commodities experience area. customers can experience the products behind the glass partitions as if they broke into a backstage dressing room. the ambiguous mirror reflections trigger their curiosity and desire for exploration and reveal a tasteful touch as well.
as customers explore further around the logo, they become a part of the ‘scene’ and enter the world of HAYDON. customized spotlights spread from the center and are arranged one by one like arrays of cosmic orbits. the light below the mirrors and the unique reflections of the silver foil cast onto the yellowish baked coating. abundant products are displayed in the space station-like zone for customers to choose at will. the mirrored high shelves and curved silver-foil stands are staggered, with well-arranged products enriching customers’ shopping experiences. 
project info:
name: haydon hangzhou
architects: various associates
lead designers: qianyi lin, dongzi yang
design team: baizhen pan, yongliang huang
location: hangzhou, china
area: 862 sqm
photography: SFAP
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edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom
