Oskay Store / True Thing Design Studio

Architects: True Thing Design Studio
Area: 125 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Yi-Hsien Lee and Associates YHLAA
Design: Adrian Tsai, Fisher Jhao
Program / Use / Building Function: Retail Interiors
City: Kaohsiung
Country: Taiwan

Oskay Store, designed by True Thing Design Studio, is a curated retail space located in the historic First Bank Warehouse in Yancheng, Kaohsiung. Drawing inspiration from the natural and urban elements of Kaohsiung, the design integrates the ruggedness of the mountains, the calmness of the sea, and the industrial port’s development. The project aims to engage deeply with the Yancheng Warehouse culture through these visual elements.

Oskay Store is a curated space situated in the historic First Bank Warehouse in Yancheng, Kaohsiung. The design draws inspiration from the rugged mountains, serene sea, and urban development of the industrial port, reflecting the essence of growing up in Kaohsiung. The aim is to engage deeply with the Yancheng Warehouse culture through these visual elements.

The store’s name, “OSKAY,” originates from the pause language used by children playing hide-and-seek in southern Taiwan during the 70s and 80s. This concept of hiding has been translated into a design technique, creating interesting corners within the space.

Faced with the nearly six-meter-high warehouse, the design deliberately exposes the original beams and columns, using raw materials extensively in the interior decoration. This approach allows for potential recycling and continuation of the warehouse’s identity amid future business activities.

Preserving the expansive floor-to-ceiling entrance windows, a “hideaway wall” is employed to blur the distinction between the interior and exterior. The layout is configured with a central bare column, delineating the store, office area, and meeting space. Frosted glass and steel panels are used as half-height walls to define spaces with different attributes.

Within the soaring interior walls, large-section segmented calcium silicate boards are used to subtly integrate with the space. Variable-height platforms cater to diverse display needs, evoking a vision for Kaohsiung’s commercial space in every corner of the venue.