Holiland Lab Bakery in Nanjing by Sò Studio.

In the newly completed WUYUe Plaza in Nanjing, Sò Studio have devised an experimental bakery and retailer interior for Holiland Lab that is unlike anything they have collaborated on before. Like stumbling into a laboratory, the futuristic design transports patrons to a space that feels out of this world.

It’s little surprise then to find out this interior is inspired by the Space Elevator Experiment—a proposed planet-to-space transportation system that would connect Earth to a platform 100,000 kilometres away via a shuttle elevator—pretty far out.

To simulate their experiment of astronomical proportions, Sò Studio constructed the interior around three zones—‘platform’, ‘crossing tube’ and ‘reverse’—to create a sense of infinite exploration. The first hint of the ensuing space theme comes with the doorknobs, which are aptly shaped like an outer space transport capsule.

Related: Artist in Residence: LOOKNOW Flagship Store by Sò Studio.

Old and new elements are balanced with playful material combinations. Press metal walls, yellow frames and wooden cabinets create a simple dialogue that echoes the days of Vitra’s retro-futurism. The featured installations, which are composed of all the used materials in the space, provide the combined function of display and casual seating.

Sò Studio custom-designed a series of furniture and facilities, the ‘floating’ cabinet, ‘transport cart’ cake wall, all kinds of ‘packing box’, cranes, pulley system, and ropes, which are freely superimposed, scattered, and extended high and low over the space. Mirrored surfaces and ceilings create a visual experience akin to a ‘reverse space’ that adds a unique sensory experience to a visit. By channelling the visual impact of a space experiment, the studio has created an immersive retail journey.

Founded in 2016 by partners Yifan Wu and Mengjie Liu, Sò Studio is an innovative interior, and industrial design practice based in Shanghai. Its scope of work spans from commercial and retail spaces to hospitality and residential.

See more projects by Sò Studio on Yellowtrace.

[Images courtesy of Sò Studio. Photography by Wen Studio.]