PRODUCE intersects two retail spaces with plywood planes in singapore

PRODUCE intersects two retail spaces with plywood planes in singapore
all images by courtesy of PRODUCE

the project by singaporean studio PRODUCE consists of developing the spaces of two brands: ‘kki sweets’ and ‘the little dröm’. the two different spaces share a storefront within the school of the arts (SOTA) building, therefore a significant factor of the brief was to distinguish the identities of both. the larger of the two belongs to kki sweets who sell intricate japanese-inspired french desserts.

internal partitioning form little ‘rooms’ housing the products

the strategy opted draws influence from the architecture of the university building itself. using a concept of having walls which segregates and cuts through a ‘datum plane’, this has resulted in a porous nature seen within and outside both the shops. in the kki sweets section, volumes above the plane have created the openings providing light, while the volumes below, are adapted to form the practical requirements, such as tables, shelves, and the elevated seating spaces.

the plane is designed as a porous trellis so that the entire diagram can be observed and experienced from within

the plane continues into the little drömstore inversely. instead of forming voids, it occupies a volume that forms the floor of a ‘tree house’ – a theme closely related to the brand itself. although both retail shops share the concept of a datum plane, they visualize as separate and independent entities. an ‘internal street’ cuts between the two spaces, leading in and their façade and signage orientated towards each other.

the timber planes form the shelves and also diverse seating opportunities

the primary materials used are maple veneered plywood for the volumes and solid pine strips for the trellis. the light colors of the wood act as a blank canvas, allowing the brightly colored products to stand out and at the same time, contrasting against the darker colors of the SOTA atrium.

diagram showing two retail spaces with a shared ‘datum plane’ concept

the primary materials are maple veneered plywood for the volumes and solid pine strips for the trellis

the light wood wrapped interior instills a sense of lightness

a porous nature has been achieved

the timber frame acts like a blank canvas in which the two shops can be filled with colors with a variety of products

an alleyway cuts in between the two spaces with their façades facing each other