R Society Store for Floral Art in Yixing by 0321 Studio

0321 Studio have completed a 180-square-metre store for an independent floral expressionist in Yixing, China. According to the designers, R Society atelier endeavours to “showcase the diverse relationship between floral art and space”. There is an ever-present tension between the vibrancy of flowers and the cool and robust quality of rough stone and shiny metal that dominates the project. 0321 Studio harness this duality by questioning the possibilities these materials can bring to floral creation and teaching.

The interior and the exterior feel largely separated. The front entrance exists as a portal that defines the start of an experience detached from the outside world. A mirrored door reflects the lush greenery of a neighbouring forest, providing a distorted hint of what lies beneath its walls.

Once inside, visitors become submerged in a world of grey. Textural stone walls bleed into concrete flooring that unfolds as a continuously flowing hard grey carpet. A ceiling completely covered with bright white tube lights, coupled with an interior that is largely devoid of furnishings, creates an intriguing atmosphere that one can’t help but be enthralled by. The rigidity of the lighting scheme provides more uniform and precise lighting conditions for optimal colour rendering, “highlighting the existence of mutual creation between flowers and florists in this space”, explain the designers.

The building form is based around the intersection of two interconnected stepping asymmetrical blocks. The interior is dominated by the presence of a workbench that serves retail, operation, reception and teaching functions. The bench features mirrored cabinetry and drawers that reflect the uneven surfaces that sit on the opposite side, the distortions prompting visitors to question what it is they are truly seeing.

The solidity of the scheme is continued in small moments where furnishings inhabit the space. Deep green marble steps sit alongside concrete, their veins and chipped edges maintain the textural focus. A quiet moment where a sink ‘ejects’ itself out of the side of a wall becomes a memorable one. Deep orange and red tones scribbled across its marble form inject colour within the minimalist space – a subtle nod to the vivid and organic quality of flowers.

0321 Studio’s atelier for R Society is a refreshing take on a florist interior, creating a space that, despite its heavily restrained palette, acts as the perfect, uber-cool backdrop for the soft and colourful flowers housed within.