Architects: SAKO Architects (Keiichiro Sako, Takeshi Ishizaka)
Area: 1,142.6 m²
Year: 2007
Photography: N/A
City: Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Country: China
The Romanticism Shop in Hangzhou, designed by SAKO Architects, features a distinct, organic “net” structure that flows seamlessly from the exterior into the store’s interior. Conceptualized by Keiichiro Sako and Takeshi Ishizaka, this design emphasizes the relationship between clothing and space. Completed in 2007, the 1142.6-square-meter flagship store utilizes this net-like form to create versatile and dynamic spaces throughout the shop, enhancing the brand’s identity.
Romanticism, a prominent women’s clothing brand with approximately 500 stores across China, commissioned Japanese architects Keiichiro Sako and Takeshi Ishizaka of SAKO Architects to design multiple locations in Hangzhou, including the flagship store near the city’s West Lake. This article delves into the design of the second Romanticism shop created by SAKO Architects.
This futuristic form of the net was not achieved through advanced machinery carving out three-dimensional surfaces, but rather through low-tech manual labor carried out by a large workforce.
Interview with Keiichiro Sako of SAKO Architects
In an interview with movingcities.org, Keiichiro Sako shared insights into the design philosophy:
“The client requested a design that no one could replicate, without providing additional specifics. My approach involves understanding and expanding on the client’s vision. With no strict guidelines, I explored the boutique’s concept, the clothing, and the relationship between body and space, ultimately creating an organic net that winds through the space.”
Sako elaborated further, stating, “Clothing acts as our second skin, and space as our third skin. My design positions itself between these layers, functioning like furniture that can support clothing while transforming into partitions, counters, chairs, and railings.”
Situated near West Lake, a central area of Hangzhou, the store’s design is centered around an organic “net” that seamlessly integrates with the space. This continuous structure begins at the facade and extends into the interior, wrapping around the selling space on the first floor and evolving as it flows throughout the store.
As the “net” narrows near the staircase, it expands again on the basement level, creating varied spaces that mirror those on the first floor. The three-dimensional curved surfaces and perforated white walls of the “net” draw inspiration from the interaction between the human body and the clothing that envelops it, embodying the essence of the Romanticism brand.
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Project Location
Address: Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
