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Interior Designers: Karv One Design
- Area: 2900 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Guiheng Liao
Text description provided by the architects. Once again, Karv One looked beyond the conventional design expressions of Jan Ji You and came up with an innovative design for the K11 store reflecting the inspiration of the “black hole and gravitational fields”. Mystic black is the color of choice that is applied consistently through the whole multidimensional space. Interactive puzzles are embedded into the metaphorical space to appeal to the curiosities of the visitors for exploring a journey of innovation. It is also an embodiment of a unique aesthetic of design.
Metaphor, Solving the Puzzles of Space
The entrance is the starting point for an exploration journey. Karv One put a lot of ingenious thoughts in the signboard design. A special paint is used to achieve the rough yet delicate metallic texture of the decoration panel, while the color black is used, enveloping the entire space in a mysterious atmosphere and style.
In ancient times, our ancestors carved symbols on stone slabs in order to record major events and their lives. Later generations are now able to explore the ancient civilizations by solving those riddles. Karv One designed the luminous characters on the decorative panel of the signboard, showcasing the three major moments in the development of the written language, and symbolizing development and exploration. This marks the beginning of the space metaphors. Standing at the entrance, visitors could glimpse into the space inside. Complexity has been made simple through ditching excessive decorations for the whole space. Stainless-steel is used extensively indoors to enhance the overall quality.
Inspiration, the Start of the Space & Time
The podium area is where there is huge footfall. It is a symbolic usherer for the space in the sense of design while in the structure of the spatial metaphor, it is an inspiration. Karv One chose to use reflective black mirrors, coupled with a dynamic led display, to deliver a strong sense of time and space.
The special platform in the area is like the point where the time that travels through different spaces solidifies. Standing here, you may be reminded of the scale of the clock. Different from the normal clocks, a cycle is formed by 26 numbers and 26 English words. It is a hint for the entire space puzzle. The ingenuity of the design is to immerse the visitor in the space in order to uncover the mystery.
Exploration, Boundless Art and Imagination
Karv One implanted puzzles in the spaces, which incited the curiosity of the visitors to seek to explore every one of them. The values of spaces have also been maximized. Visitors are able to interact with the entire space by walking through the book area, themed art area, coffee area, and the children's play area. It is worth mentioning that, Karv One designed two distinctive themed art areas in order to harmonize the spatial layout interrupted by the hollowed partitions between spaces, which makes the whole space arrangement more practical and stylish.
Premium art installations are surrounded by tall walls of books. People walk through the “gate of art” and can watch and feel arts at close range. The crowds shuttle through space and form a harmonious relationship with artworks and books. The "emptiness" at the top of the space not only extends people’s imaginations, but also forms an interactive response with people. This is an important place where visitors are willing to stay. The coffee area is designed with a large range of stainless steel ceilings, effectively connecting different business formats. Partitions lower than the ceiling help achieve the integration of products and space.
Puzzle Solving, Journey of Recording the Space
A key consideration for Karv One is how to maximize the bond between the space and people in it. From solving puzzles to the spatial exploration, each visitor leaves with his/her own experience of a journey. Both visual and auditory riddles are cleverly embedded by Karv One in the cabinets and walls at various locations throughout the space to guide visitors to solve mysteries and consider the relationship between puzzles and spaces.
In the visual theme, Karv One combined the moon cycle with the eyesight test table to form a password. The decoding method is to match the numbers with the corresponding English words. In the auditory theme, the five-line staff is designed into 13-line. The decoding method is to match the position of the notes on the lines with the English words. Each visitor will get his/her own answer according to the hint of the riddle. It might be Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" or Shakespeare's "Twelve Nights", or it might be the visual beauty of the riddle itself…… During seeking and exploring, each person builds a journey of his/her own, which also represents a profound connection between man and space.
On the whole, Karv One enhanced the sense of art and quality for the space experience with the continuity and diversity of various guiding systems. It is not difficult to establish interactions between people and space when the previously beyond-reach art is made accessible to the general public. In the process of searching and exploring, each person is able to take away a profound memory. The space journey itself is a life experience full of artistic beauty and possibility.
Karv One, with this thoughtful design, created for the brand a magnetic field full of magical life experience. As a valuable venue, the space also serves as a platform for the public to mingle and share, thus gathering long lasting vigor and vitality in Guangzhou.
