Layers of Time: Harmay Wuhan by AIM Architecture.

AIM Architecture continues their collaboration with Harmay in the beauty retailer’s latest outpost in Wuhan, China. Housed in a 1940s era building, previously the home of Yokohama Bank, Shanghai architects explore a layered approach to the design of the latest store.

Different moments in history are represented on the three floors of the building, set within the empty shell. Two new vertical elements are inserted in the building, connecting these layers in time. The first is a vertical storage core, where mechanical robots organise goods along the 3 floors. The second is an experiential staircase, moving people through the building like a time vessel. Both introduce a new language—a conversation and as a result—a precisely individual layer of time.

On the first floor, heavy wooden furniture and walls rest on old stone floors and exposed concrete beams. Display islands and a rack organised similar to a familiar corner store mingle with the stainless steel vertical warehouse, encouraging visits to engage with the robots and the building’s verticality.

HARMAY Chengdu Flagship by AIM Architecture.

With Chinese e-tailer HARMAY’s fourth bricks and mortar location in Chengdu, Sichuan, AIM Architecture bridges the gaps between the power of a journey and the beauty of discovery.

Arriving through the mirrored staircase, the second floor introduces a more conservative image. Upon entering, the traditional steel racks are neatly arranged, reminding us of the brand’s origins, with warehouse culture at its core. Here, a window and small balcony enables guests to experience profound lightness. At the same time a herringbone wooden floor, ornamental wooden mouldings and anodized aluminium profies allude to the layering of time in history.

The first view of the attic is of the vertical-grid warehouse that rushes towards the old wooden roof, showing its dominance in the building. Half of this floor is an open back warehouse, while the other half of the building is the terrace that’s open to the public. The main facade is kept as transparent as possible so passers-by can experience the layers of time through the framework of historical openings.

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[Images courtesy of AIM Architecture. Photography by Wen Studio.]