Press Release
A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to Ace Play Sport Retail Space by Zhu Shi Design Studio
Zhu Shi Design Studio recognized for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Ace Play Sport Retail Space by Zhu Shi Design Studio has been granted the A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Ace Play Sport Retail Space
Ace Play Sport is a retail space for badminton equipment, set in a 50-year-old shophouse in Taiwan. The interior of 70 square meters has a narrow plan with daylight from one side only. An angled ceiling starts at the arcade and guides visitors inward. A hollow arched display island anchors the central zone. Unfinished birch plywood brings warmth and low emissions, while matte metallic paint and polished tiles suggest speed. A light-diffusing membrane ceiling spreads an even glow. The design links badminton heritage with contemporary retail.
About Zhu Shi Design Studio
“Zhu” ◆ Refers to all who speak—the users behind every word “Shi” ◆ Refers to space—the interface of daily life ZhuShi Design Beginning with communication, living with intention. A space takes shape through dialogue and shared participation. It is a collaboration between user and designer, crafting a lifestyle of aesthetic harmony— together, we return to the purest form of beauty. Peace in all matters, harmony in every space.
Award Record
With this recognition, Zhu Shi Design Studio is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/174633
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/174633
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!174633
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/370932
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Ace Play Sport Retail Space
- Function
- Retail Space
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Rosy Brown, Dark Gray, Gray, White Smoke and Silver
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Zhu Shi Design Studio
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #174633
Credits
- Team
- Hung-Ting Chen
- Image Credits
- Zhu Shi Design Studio
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The design extends beyond the interior, beginning at the arcade where a sharply angled ceiling guides the eye inward like a shuttlecock slicing through air. The brand logo, placed subtly along the angled plane, lets badminton's imagery define identity. Inside, silver-toned metal and sweeping curves evoke speed, shaping an immersive retail experience. A hollow arched display island, inspired by shuttlecock rhythm, anchors the space. Flanking walls contrast past and future: a warm wooden pegboard versus sleek silver finishes, uniting tradition with modernity.
- Inspiration
- The project showcases and sells badminton equipment yet avoids the typical showroom aesthetic, instead embracing a human-centered, cultural approach. With origins in the 18th century, badminton carries both history and graceful rhythm. The design honors this heritage by reinterpreting materials and space through time and speed. Set in a 50-year-old shophouse, wood evokes tradition while silver suggests speed and technology. Their dialogue creates a refined stage that transcends commerce, narrating the cultural and aesthetic spirit of badminton.
- Research
- Housed in a 50-year-old shophouse, the project fuses badminton culture with contemporary design to create an immersive retail experience. Dynamic spatial elements, refined materials, and atmospheric lighting reimagine the sports store as a stage for cultural storytelling. At Ace Play Sport, woodgrain with growth rings conveys heritage and warmth, while matte metallic finishes express speed and innovation. Their harmony embodies badminton's dual nature, tradition, and evolution, shaping a retail space with both cultural depth and forward vision.
- Challenge
- The project's main challenge was to stand out among a row of uniform old shophouses. Instead of bold signage or lightboxes, the designer chose a restrained approach, creating identity through an angled ceiling, shuttlecock-inspired display island, and triangular markers. These elements form a distinct yet subtle language, resisting retail cliches. Passersby are drawn by interior brightness and thoughtful contrasts, not spectacle. The space asserts quiet confidence, breathing new rhythm and purpose into the 50-year-old structure.
- Realization and Technology
- The space is defined by the contrast of warm wood and cool silver. Natural birch plywood, left unfinished to reveal its grain, brings warmth while minimizing VOCs. Silver tones appear in matte metallic paint and polished tiles, shaping light flow with a modern edge. The palette blends cool whites and natural wood, balanced by daylight and a light-diffusing membrane ceiling that casts an even glow. Under this soft illumination, the environment feels calm and refined, where human warmth and technological precision meet in quiet dialogue.
- Operation and Interaction
- Since opening, AcePlay Sport has reshaped the community's view of sports retail. Even those outside its target demographic are drawn in, first pausing at the bench under the arcade, then entering, intrigued by the inviting atmosphere. The design aligns closely with the brand's identity, boosting both traffic and return rates. Instead of a hard sell, products are presented with subtle rhythm, blending heritage and innovation. This approach attracts diverse visitors and transforms shopping into an immersive, memorable experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project finished in December 2024 in Taiwan.
- Specifications
- The 70m2 shophouse features a narrow layout with daylight from only one side. To align with the theme of motion, the designer restructured the plan to guide a sense of speed from the arcade inward. The windowless central zone became the main display and interaction area, drawing visitors deeper inside. A light membrane ceiling expands vertical space, brightening the axis and easing the enclosure. At the far end, a soft staircase turn veiled with sheer curtains gently shapes sightlines and flow, echoing badminton's balance of speed and rhythm.
- Keywords
- Street house, badminton, beveled ceilings, wood tone, silver tone, speed, eco-friendly building materials, sports.
