HAY Store Wuhan

Hao Xu

• Architects

The design of HAY Wuhan Showroom draws inspiration from the repetitive courtyard settlements in Wuhan indigenous dwellings. Three courtyards are arranged in line each employing the imagery of “water(fortune) coming from all sides”, the sequence of which creates a explorable and mysterious maze. Each courtyard represents certain level of privacy, as exactly in a traditional housing, it goes from the foyer, living room, dining space, and then to the bedroom, where life style scenarios composed of HAY furniture is displayed. Proportional window frames are cut in sequence in various sizes to exaggerate the perspectives looking through, so that depth and richness of views are captured as one moves around, likewise in the traditional Chinese Gardens.

The concave gateway, translated also from traditional Wuhan housing, became the attractive entry. Side courtyards to the fire exit together with another big courtyard are arranged beside the main ones, to accommodate office and outdoor furniture, while in terms of parties or events this open sector could be tuned into staging and speech mode.

Terracotta brick wall and stone masonry patio paving responds to the traditional housing as material and tectonic expression. Door handles are made from chair legs of HAY in lacquered and stained black oak finish, which stand for the interior and exterior side respectively. De-saturated colors are chosen for walls and curtains, from mineral colors extracted from Yuan Dynasty paintings. They’re perfect background colors, as they help make it feel like home for the customers when it comes to styling and matching. Raw concrete columns with construction details are kept and remained, which contrast well with refined furniture like contemporary drama played at the archaeology site. In fact, here on the stage, Furniture are Actors.