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LOCATION ▸ TIANJIN

CLIENT ▸ M ESSENTIAL

YEAR ▸ 2025

STATUS ▸ COMPLETED

PROGRAMME ▸ CLOTHING STORE

COLLABORATORS ▸ MUTINA

PHOTOGRAPHER ▸ ZHUDI@SHADOOPLAY

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PROJECT SYNOPSIS ▾

REINTERPRETING “M ESSENTIAL” FROM A FRESH PERSPECTIVE, THE LETTER “M” AS THE CORE ELEMENT EXTENDS ITS PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SPACE. THIS ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT EMPHASIZE A TRADITIONAL RETAIL EXPERIENCE OR COMPLEX ORNAMENTATION, BUT RATHER EMBODIES A THOUGHTFULLY EXECUTED MINIMALISM....

THE MINIMALIST INTERPRETATION OF “M” BEGINS WITH STRUCTURAL UNITS. CELOSIA CERAMIC TILES FROM MUTINA, CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR DISTINCTIVE GEOMETRIC PERFORATIONS, EACH CONTAIN AN “M” SHAPE, SERVING AS THE MATERIAL EMBODIMENT OF THE BRAND’S SYMBOL IN THIS PROJECT. GROUPED IN SETS OF FOUR TO FORM PILLARS, EACH LAYER IS INVERTED AND INTERLOCKED WITH THE NEXT. THE TRAPEZOIDAL TILES, WHEN LAYERED, CREATE A SUBTLY UNDULATING SILHOUETTE REMINISCENT OF CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUȘI’S SCULPTURAL WORKS.

UPON ENTERING THE M SPACE, ONE FIRST SENSES NOT THE DESIGN ITSELF, BUT AN “ATMOSPHERE”: QUIET, GROUNDED, YET PROFOUNDLY PRESENT. CELOSIA TILES OFFER A CONTEMPORARY REINTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL TERRACOTTA CRAFTSMANSHIP, CREATING TACTILE, EARTHY ELEMENTS IMBUED WITH ARTISANAL SPIRIT AND THE PATINA OF TIME. THEY BREAK CONVENTIONS WHILE PRESERVING THE TRADITIONAL CHARM OF HANDCRAFTED ARTISTRY.

OUTER CORRIDOR

THE OUTER CORRIDOR SERVES AS A FUNCTIONAL COMPONENT OF THE SPACE. THE WALLS ON EITHER SIDE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS THICK PARTITIONS, WITH THE “M PILLARS” PARTIALLY EMBEDDED WITHIN THEM. UNDER SOFT LIGHTING, THE HANDMADE TEXTURE OF THE CERAMIC TILES REVEALS SUBTLE SHIFTS IN LIGHT AND SHADOW.

THE PILLARS APPEAR IN THE SPACE AS MULTIFACETED OR SINGLE-FACED ELEMENTS, ADDING A LAYERED RHYTHM TO THE SMOOTH WHITE WALLS. AS THE FULL-HEIGHT MIRRORED SLIDING DOORS OPEN SLOWLY, THE EMBEDDED BACKS OF THE PILLARS BECOME VISIBLE INSIDE THE CHANGING ROOMS—A SEAMLESS SURPRISE. ONE SIDE OF THE CHANGING AREA FEATURES EMBROIDERED FLORAL FABRIC FROM SACHO, ECHOING THE RATTAN SEATING AND CERAMIC TILES. THESE THREE MATERIALS CONVEY A SHARED ARTISANAL QUALITY, REINFORCING THE RESORT-LIKE ATMOSPHERE OF SPACE M.

CORE

AS THE HEART OF THE SPACE, IT HAS ALWAYS HOSTED THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS. THE CORE AREA UNFOLDS PROGRESSIVELY, DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS: THE FIRST SECTION FEATURES FOUR PILLARS SUPPORTING A SUBSTANTIAL BLACK SQUARE WOODEN TABLE, CLEARLY DEMONSTRATING THEIR STRUCTURAL ROLE. THE BROAD TABLETOP IS DISCREETLY PERFORATED IN A MODERN, RESTRAINED MANNER, SERVING DISPLAY, ACCESSORY STORAGE, AND CHECKOUT FUNCTIONS. IN THE SECOND SECTION, TWO PILLARS ARE FULLY RECESSED INTO A WHITE VOLUME, WHERE THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL CERAMIC TILES ABSTRACT INTO A FLAT SYMBOL, MOST DIRECTLY EVOKING THE “M” MOTIF. THIS VOLUME ACTS AS A PARTITION BETWEEN FRONT AND REAR AREAS AND ALSO SERVES AS A DISPLAY FOR KEY GARMENTS. THE THIRD SECTION OMITS TWO PILLARS FROM THE STANDARD GRID, CREATING AN OPEN, COLUMN-FREE ZONE—REMINISCENT OF THE TRADITIONAL WISDOM OF COLUMN REDUCTION IN TIMBER STRUCTURES—DESIGNATED AS THE INNERMOST LOUNGE AREA. TWO SETS OF RATTAN CHAIRS AND SIDE TABLES ARE PLACED OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AT THE CENTER; THE RATTAN MATERIAL AND CURVED FORMS INTRODUCE A LIGHT, VACATION-LIKE FEEL AMID THE FOREST OF PILLARS.

以全新视角重新理解“M ESSENTIAL”，“M”作为核心要素的意义，将一个字母漫延至整个空间。这个空间并不强调传统的零售体验，没有复杂的装饰，而是一种深思熟虑的极简主义。

这个极简空间对“M”的诠释从结构单体开始。选自MUTINA的CELOSIA陶砖以其独特的几何镂空造型为特点，每块砖中都包含一个“M”形，成为这个项目中诠释品牌符号的物质载体。以四块砖为一组垒成立柱，层与层之间上下颠倒，相互交错，梯形的单体砖块经过层叠组合，赋予了立柱微妙起伏的外轮廓造型，令人联想起CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUȘI的雕塑作品。

步入M空间，首先感受到的不是设计本身，而是一种“氛围”：安静、沉稳，但却极具存在感。CELOSIA陶砖是对传统陶土手工工艺的全新诠释，旨在打造源于大地、饱含匠心与岁月痕迹的质朴而富有触感的元素。打破常规，同时保留了手工工艺赋予的传统韵味。

外廊

外廊作为空间功能性的载体。左右两侧的墙体可以被理解为具有厚度的墙，“M柱”被半嵌入于墙内。柔光映照下，陶砖的手工肌理呈现出微妙的明暗变化。

立柱或多面或单面在空间中呈现，为平滑的白墙增添层层递进的节奏感。随着通高的镜面移门缓缓开启，立柱嵌入墙体的背面能够在更衣间内部被看到，成为表里如一的惊喜。更衣间内部的一侧选用来自Sacho的刺绣花卉面料，与藤编座椅与陶砖呼应，三种材质传递相同的手工艺质感，强化space M度假的氛围。

内核

作为空间的核心，向来容纳空间的主角。内核空间层层递进，依据前后被分为三进：第一进的四根立柱承托起一张厚重的黑色方形木桌，直观展现立柱的结构性质，宽大的桌面以现代而克制的手法开小洞，兼具桌面陈列、配饰收纳以及收银功能；第二进的两根立柱被完全嵌平于一个白色体块之中，立体的陶砖抽象为平面符号，最能体现与“M”的关联，体块作为空间前后的分界，亦可用作重点服饰的展示性陈列；第三进空间在标准柱网中抽去两根，独占两间，中间无柱，与传统木构中减柱法的智慧不谋而合，被定义为最深处的休闲区。两组藤编座椅和边几被相对放置于中央，藤编材质和曲线造型在林立的柱网中提供了一丝轻快的度假感受。

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