MOMIC Watch Assembly Store in Hangzhou by Atelier TAO+C.

Dark green, honeydew and white marble blocks, interspersed with accents of orange acrylic and blue metal converge in the first concept store in Hangzhou designed by Atelier Tao+C for an emerging watch assembly brand MOMIC (Moments of Magic). Simple, Memphis-inspired geometric volumes, overlaid with a precise colour combination imbue the space with a radical and expressive force – capturing customers’ attention from the beginning of their journeys into the store.

Planning the customers’ spatial movement was the starting point of the design – six scattered display compositions appear to be randomly placed in the space, however each one is formed according to the elaborately planned travel paths. Upon entering, the customers are immediately guided by the paths generated by different “props”, inviting them to meander around, and establishing their own shopping journey.

The active height of each display interface sits between 1.05 to 1.65 meters, based on customer’s actions and gestures when buying watches, and the most comfortable sight angle when browsing the merchandise. These dimensions liberate the upper and lower sections of the “props” and form a sense of transparency. While each display stand is arranged separately, the bottom and top heights of all plinths are consistent, responding to each other to form a continuous visual scene.

Each plinth is held up by cylindrical legs with different sizes and materials. The heavy platform contrasts with its lightweight support, expressing the conflicts between lightness and gravity. The circular column made of blue metal is vertically divided into independent display stands. The vertical line is ingeniously connected with the reflected image on the top surface, generating a visual extension.

The use of materials represents the designers’ thinking towards time and space – the acrylic brings in a sense of futurism, the marble represents the tradition, and the blue metal shelf acts as the illustration of modern industrial evolution.

The final piece is the luminous wall and the glossy mirror hovering over the ceiling – it blurs the boundary of the space in between and creates a soft and fuzzy atmosphere reminiscent of Kubrick’s retro-futurism aesthetics.

Related: Capsule Hotel & Library In Zhejiang Province, China By Atelier Tao+C.

[Images courtesy of Wen Studio.]