nodstock creates retail interior that reflects the history of japanese design in china

japanese studio ‘nodstock’ has designed the interiors for a multi-brand retail store in dalian city, china. located in the liaodong peninsula on the southern tip the liaoning province, ‘known unknown’ forms part of the zhongshan district’s culturally rich offerings, reflecting the area’s multi-faceted history which includes both russian and japanese occupation.

in the aftermath of the russo-japanese war in 1907, russia surrendered dalian to the japanese who ruled it for the next 38 years. as a result the city still retains significant vestiges of this period including shinto temples, governmental buildings, and japanese-style residences. strongly referencing this history in their designs for the store, nodstock outline the project as a dissemination of japanese culture. opening ‘known unknown’ near the nanzan area where many japanese once lived made it an ideal place to reflect this intention.

spacial elements reflect the tokyo-based studio’s desire to honor traditional japanese design. the store is navigated via elongated passageways that lead to several rooms situated in a row at the back of the store. the shop’s façade and lobby are finished with wooden surfaces common in japanese old houses. in contrast to the timber, the spaces in which clothes are displayed feature a more contemporary, exposed concrete.

project info

studio: nodstock

location: dalian city, liaodong peninsula, liaoning province, china

store name: known, unknown