The tenderness of the water, the lightness of the breeze, the lingering rain, and the stone bridges polished shiny by the year… Suzhou has always had a profonde connection with water, and water appears in different forms simultaneously in this city in the south of Yangtze River, adding a bit of elegance and mystery to the tranquil scenery. The unique outdoor scenery was borrowed by the designers to create this three-story jewelry experience store located on the historic Guanqian Street with the design theme of “Misty Rainy Water Town”.

The facade is presented in a simple and staggered manner, with the second and third floors partially shielding the interior space with grilles on the right and left sides respectively, while the blue and white gradient color palette of the interior space is hidden, guiding the guests to step inside and find out what's going on.

The first floor is the first-place guests see and step into. Pushing the glass double doors open, guests feel as if they have immediately entered another soft and gentle water town. The designers have incorporated many elements that fit with the theme to express the sense of space. The lighting fixtures are customized, with bulbs with frosted surface in varying numbers of two to five, arranged in different directions on three-dimensional golden tracks. Thanks to the tracks, the warm and soft yellow light can spread around the entire space, and then through the reflection of the stainless-steel wall to fill the upper part of the space. After the fog, a fine and dense mist would fill the air in the water town, so that the original clear eaves, waterfront, and light gradually get blurred boundaries. The designers also introduced this visual sense into the interior, the lower part of the wall changed from the mirror stainless-steel to the frosted surface, the reflective effect of the light is also gradually disappearing. In this way, the designers presented the mist-covered scenery of the water town, with the reflection on the water surface visible. Jewelry display cabinets and guest chairs are customized into gray-blue gradient color to fit the design theme, and the cool blue color allows to highlight the luster and aesthetics of jewelry on display.

The staircase is clad in light blue stainless-steel and “V” pitted glass, with step treads finished in blue and white marble and LED screen. With the addition of these materials, guests would feel as if they were traversing through water as they go upstairs, with the water gurgling and flowing gently and unobtrusively to the second floor. Constrained by the original building, the lighting fixtures on the second floor is simpler than that on the first floor, with the tracks on which the bulbs are located are arranged in an orderly fashion close to the ceiling. After pulling all the curtains, the unique pattern of water town adds elegance to the space; the style of lighting fixture becomes exquisite and simple, so that the light in the space becomes soft. Compared to the ones on the first floor, gray gradient jewelry display cabinets are willing accompaniments to highlight the beauty and elegance of the jewelry.

Passing through the water stairs again, guests will arrive at the third floor, which is the VIP lounge. The space is equipped with sofas and a coffee bat for resting and waiting. Carpet patterns here were drawn, proofed, selected and finalized by the designers. The VIP lounge emphasizes on privacy and more personalized service experience, therefore, the designers simplified the lighting, furniture and workshop, and chose light grey and blue gradient color fabric wall and customized curtains, as much as possible for the space to leave enough room, to create a quite atmosphere. VIP guests seem to be in the mist after the rain to enjoy the supreme shopping experience in the south of the Yangtze River water town.

Overall, the design of the three-story space shows a progressive relation, shifting from the lively decor of the first floor to the simplicity and serenity of the third floor. At the same time, the gradation of color tones in the three floors form a coherent, the first floor from blue to white, the second one from white to blue, and the third one returns to the same as on the first one. The designers reproduced in the interior the misty smoothness that is the characteristic of the water town, hoping guests who do the shopping here can also appreciate the real beauty of Suzhou city. 

Team:

Interior Architects: ONE PLUS PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

Photographer: Yingshan Creative Images