RP Luxury Watches Galleria Spazio Commerciale

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The store is inspired by primitive forests, themed with the concept of “animals roaming in mountains and forests.” With Taiwan cypress and stone from Huanlien and Taitung, a natural scene of local mountains and forests is shaped in the space, making for visual effect of a receding landscape. In the foreground, the store’s façade facing the street is laid out with Karesansui, a Japanese rock garden, to create a serene, freehand boutique window. In the middle ground, behind the see-through glass window and door are four limited-version BE@RBRICK bears with vibrant colors and patterns, injecting youthful vitality into a subdued, modest space. The far ground is a nod to the great master leoh Ming Pei, whose design of Suzhou Museum makes use of white walls as paper for painting. Slices of rock weighing up to 200 kilograms show gradations, and, when paired with large floor-to-ceiling gray mirrors, present the imagery of continuous rolling hills. The arrangement of the foreground, middle ground and far ground not simply makes for visual effects of a succession of layers but artfully represents through the design the core concept of “animals roaming in mountains and forests.”

Dimensions & Packaging

76 m2

Tags

LeeChen International Design Co., Joseph Lee, Commercial space, Interior Design

Production Technology

The overall design, in imitation of nature, draws on wisdom from ancestors for its elements, such as the ceiling based on the idea of “circular heaven and square earth,” with air conditioning suspended and concealed in the curved dome. The access holes are made specifically symmetrical, thus both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Twenty customized laser-cut titanium-plated flying birds, symbolic of the twenty counties and cities in Taiwan, seem to take flight and hover above the reception section. A large amount of local cypress is used in the space, such as wooden grilles, wooden tables of unique shape, wooden chairs and walls. All these present key elements in traditional culture with modern techniques, skillfully striking a balance. In this way, not only is spatial equilibrium maintained, but there is an interweaving of the modern and the traditional, appealing to customers of different generations with diverse aesthetics.

Design Challenge

Through landscaping approaches of dividing the space and imitating nature, combined with contemporary processing of building materials and techniques, an unconventional commercial display space steeped in aesthetics as well as culture and highlighting a modern touch is created.

Research

A large quantity of hardwood and stone in Taiwan are used in the special construction, not merely reducing carbon emissions for shipping these materials but endorsing the beauty of Taiwan’s mountains and forests.

Inspiration

Its layout is inspired by the magnificent mountains and forests in Taiwan, hoping to integrate into the space the Eastern architectural concept of constructing a man-made, recreated nature rich in culture and philosophy, merging artistic play and nature.

Project Duration

The project finished in October 2021.

Operation Flow

In the inner showroom constructed with curved glass, the huge reception hardwood desk is fitted within unique iron structure, showcasing most popular items—Patek Philippe and Richard Mille watches. The different sections are defined by brand, and the smooth, easy flow facilitates watch viewing, while on the other side are a stone bar counter and a wine-rack made of Fluoric-acid tawny glass, offering a pleasant aura for VIP customers to savor tea and admire watches. The bathroom in the corner is also finely designed with cypress and black rock. Such details as cloud-shaped mirrors, hybrid-color stone paint, walls with axe strokes, and hardwood vanity counter together shape a spontaneous, freehand image of “rolling clouds and running water,” thereby adding a touch of being flowing and unrestrained.