lukstudio folds an arcade in a shanghai gallery

the west bund in shanghai is a neighborhood known for its art museums, a riverfront boardwalk, and recreational greenbelt — it’s not surprising to find here a continuous growth in residents and visitors who look for family activities and socio-cultural events. with the increasing flows come marketplaces like the ‘sunny walk’, an open mall that caters to local commercial and community needs. given the opportunity to design a gallery in this shopping compound for u concept gallery, a brand that combines cultural, educational and commercial programs in one location, lukstudio has created a folded arcade to channel the surrounding civic energies into a semi-public retail experience.

all images by peter dixie/LOTAN

with an open atrium on one side and a narrow double-loaded corridor on the other, the all-glazed elongated lot has an inherent passage quality. in order to create an attractive destination, lukstudio has introduced a trail of white walls with arched openings throughout the site, defining inward and outward spaces. following one’s movement along the corridor, the storefront opens and closes alternatively. the fold visually extends the public corridor into the gallery space, inviting the passers-by to explore within.

the austere and simple form not only creates a rhythmical storefront — a spatial sequence in the store — but also provides ample vertical display surfaces and subtly-separated zones for flexibility. while the arches guide views and movements flowing smoothly in the open gallery floor, a wooden volume is essential to organize all the other required programs and free up the overall space.

walking in the gallery through the two entrances, one easily finds the cafe counter tucked under a wooden mezzanine. the white arches lead to an open classroom platform surrounded by the raised display aisles. they feature up to 20 different artists, each with a video introduction and a collection for sale.

climbing the wooden steps, one continues to browse through the paintings in a more intimate attic while enjoying the view of the gallery below. using simple architectural forms, lukstudio has developed an elaborate spatial sequence engaging different users to wander, ponder, learn or shop. 

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: maria erman | designboom