YJY MAIKE CENTRE FLAGSHIP（STORE）

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

The city of Xi’an was once known as Chang’an the seat of several important dynasties in ancient China; today, it is home to the Xi’an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone, a leading center of technological development. This project involved the design of the YJY Maike Centre Flagship (Store), a bookstore and commercial complex occupying 4,500㎡ on the first and second floors of an elegant building in the Development Zone. 

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

The goal of the design was to create a place for encounters between people, cultures, and books from around the world by building on three remarkable features of the site: its location in an ancient city that boasts the extraordinary World Heritage Terracotta Army as well as the origin of the Silk Road; its luxurious surroundings, including a Grand Hyatt on the upper floors; and the elegant lines of the twin building. 

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

The overall concept for the project was “Library & Gallery.” Libraries are spaces for learning and valuing independent time, while galleries serve as intellectual spaces for displaying culture. The design blends elements of both and also incorporates features of palace architecture in order to encourage visitors and the store to collaboratively exchange and develop creative ideas. The layout resembles a Japanese or Chinese palace in its human scale and arrangement of interlinked rooms, while also evoking the universal concept of a house through its expression of the intimate connections between people, books, and the space itself. 

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

Books play an integral role in the design of the first floor, with a 10-meter-high bookshelf just inside the entryway viscerally conveying the store’s identity the instant visitors step inside. The area around the open spiral staircase functions like a courtyard, with a bright floor and mirrors on the ceiling to distinguish it from other areas. The void above the staircase is illuminated by lights that resemble fluttering sheets of paper, while the stage at its base features an inlaid stone map of Xi’an and its surroundings, offering a gorgeous space for events.

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

The second floor does double duty as a hotel lounge, with a counter bar where office workers can socialize. On the 50-meter-long “Book Street,” a low ceiling, dark colors for the floor and ceiling, and display boxes set in bookshelves come together to create a subdued gallery-like atmosphere. The distinctive artwork incorporated throughout the store is all original, commissioned to reflect themes appropriate to the location. The overall effect is a tasteful, classic environment that reflects China’s long and proud history, where visitors can relax, unwind, learn, think, enjoy life, and embark on a creative journey that transcends space and time.  

YJY 마키 센터 플래그십 스토어

시안시는 한때 고대 중국에서 몇 개의 중요한 왕조의 자리였던 장안(長安)으로 알려졌는데, 오늘날에는 기술 발전의 선두 중심지인 시안(西安) 하이테크 산업 개발 지역으로 자리 잡고 있다. 이 프로젝트는 고대도시 내 위치, 그랜드 하얏트 등 호화로운 주변 환경, 쌍둥이 빌딩의 우아한 선의 3가지 특색을 살려 세계 각국의 사람, 문화, 책과의 만남의 장소를 만드는 것이 목표였다.

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

전반적인 콘셉트는 "Library & Gallery"이다. 책은 1층 디자인에 없어서는 안 될 역할을 하는데, 입구 바로 안쪽에 10m 높이의 책장이 있어 방문객들이 안으로 들어서자마자 가게의 정체성을 본능적으로 전달한다. 열린 나선 계단 주변은 안뜰과 같은 기능하며, 천장이 밝은 색으로 마감되어 있고 거울로 장식하여 다른 영역과 구별된다. 2층은 호텔 라운지로서 직장인들을 위한 카운터바를 갖추고 있다. 50m 길이의 '북 스트리트'는 낮은 천장과 어두운 색의 바닥, 책꽂이가 함께 어우러져 갤러리 같은 분위기를 자아낸다. 전체적인 효과는 중국의 길고 자랑스러운 역사를 반영하는 고전적인 환경으로서, 방문객들은 휴식을 취하고, 마음을 풀고, 배우고, 생각하고, 인생을 즐기며, 공간과 시간을 초월한 창조적인 여정에 도달할 수 있다.

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

ⓒ Nacasa & Partners

Designer Tomoko Ikegai / ikg inc. 

Location No. 12, Jinye Road, High Tech Zone, Xian, China 

Gross floor area 4,500㎡ 

Design cooperation A Factory inc. / JPM Co, Ltd. 

Completion 2018. 12 

Lighting design sola associates 

Visual identity, Signage ujidesign 

Client Maike Group 

Photographer Nacasa & Partners

해당 프로젝트는 건축문화 2019년 4월호(Vol. 455)에 게재 되었습니다.
The project was published in the Apr, 2019 issue of the magazine(Vol. 455).