B1OCK Concept Store is located in OōEli (Hangzhou, China), focusing on medium & high end and emerging designer brands at home and abroad. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, OōEli is a new concept complex integrating multiple business forms including office space, art space, experimental theaters, concept stores, design hotels and unique business clusters. RUOHAN’s latest store nestles within these delicate boundaries.
Upon visiting the glasshouse, one notices the trees puncturing the ceiling. In response to the site’s original characteristics, architects Baoer Wang and Josh Ren of Studio Profile employed a frame-like design language on the ground, preserving the unique gravel floor. On this two-dimensional framework, granite volumes erect. These continuous and uneven structures appear like an encased landscape painting from afar. Each mass has been carefully arranged to contain a different function, such as cashier, changing room, storage, and display units. As visitors traverse the space, their experience is framed by the intervals; the undulating volumes establish a connection with the surrounding natural scenery.
In contrast to the scattered gravel floor, monolithic stone structures occupy the boundaries of the glasshouse. The color of the granite has been carefully selected to match the gravel, forming a harmonious wash of gray. Through cutting, stacking, and polishing, this granite matrix reveals its coarse-grained texture formed by centuries of tectonic activity. The deliberate arrangement of these stones not only serves functional requirements but also allows for moments of openness, inviting contemplation and a sense of unity with the surroundings. Across the glass facade, the juxtaposition of granite’s solidity with the softness of the curated items creates a strong contrast, reinforcing the subtle textures of the clothes.
Stone as material, frame as form. Studio Profile draws inspiration from the site, cutting monoliths to forge dialogues between the inside and outside, between human and nature.
Client: Ruohan
Location: Hangzhou, China
Area: 80 sqm
Interior design: Studio Profile
Team: Josh Ren, Baoer Wang
Contractor: Dongde Construction Decoration Co.,Ltd
Photo credits: Shangwei Wang, Baoer Wang
