From apocalypse to tradition: The best Chinese store designs 2022

This year, the ERDA China (EuroShop RetailDesign Award) was again presented for the best store designs in China. The ERDA has been organized by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and EHI since 2008. 

ERDA China was created because retail in China, with its own unique characteristics and needs, is different from retail in the rest of the world. In order to select the winners from the 26 nominated entries, the jury evaluated the successful interplay of store architecture, colors, materials, lighting and visual merchandising, the clear communication of the product concepts as well as the direct customer approach.

The three store designs that best meet these requirements and are therefore winners of ERDA China 2022 are: X11 Global Flagship Store (Huaihai Road, Shanghai), Chinese Baijiu Pub, and (SO)What Chengdu.

Designer: BloomDesign

Brand: KK Group

X11 commissioned BloomDesign to design its first global flagship store on Huaihai Road, known as Shanghai's most elegant shopping street. The new store quickly became a popular destination and sets an example for the exploration and development of the toy industry. The shopping experience has attracted many young people in Shanghai. 

To create a space that tells stories and provides experiences, the design team adopted the "X Ark" theme. "X Ark" is a haven for beauty, a spiritual ark for Generation Z, a dream destination for youth, and a future-oriented, diverse and ideal world built on an apocalyptic wasteland. Through spatial and design narrative, a story is visualized: That after the collapse of the universe, a scene of "rebirth after Judgment Day" emerged. 

The design team renovated the 5-story building that houses the flagship store. The building's facade also acts as an LED wall, reinforcing the store's visual identity on the street and encouraging passersby to explore the interior. In order to connect the basement and first floor to extend the space downward, the ground floor floor slabs were removed. After demolition and stripping, the existing reinforced concrete beams and columns were exposed and preserved, restoring the original structures. After reconstruction, the matte silver stainless steel and exposed gray cement, complemented by lighting and multimedia devices that add a touch of technology, reveal a strong cyberpunk style and appear cooler, trendier and more futuristic. 

Designer: Cheil China

Brand: Chinese Baijiu

The main feature of Chinese Baijiu Pub is the combination of traditional and modern design. The combination of traditional Chinese courtyard style and modern industry does not look like usual Chinese or Western bistros. The exterior reflects modernity, which is carried inside with the cuisine. The pub has a specially designed pavilion, this is inspired by Chinese Dunhang architecture and Dunhang murals. This takes guests into a modern interpretation of a Chinese history museum. A pub that celebrates Chinese drinking culture and modern Chinese aesthetics. 

The interior design uses natural materials such as bamboo, stone and cement, as well as eco-friendly man-made panels. The use of natural materials plays an important role in the environmental benefits of green design concepts. As people strive for a sustainable lifestyle since the epidemic, their desire for environmentally conscious living has continued to grow. 

Designer: Various Associates

Brand: (SO)What Chengdu

With the motto of "Don't know, Don't care", (SO)What is committed to helping everyone find his or her own clothing style in the boutique. Various Associates drew inspiration from the local culture of acting and chose "stage" as the design concept. The team took advantage of the site's unique assets to build a dynamic stage that combines modern technology and dramatic excitement to provide customers with a multi-sensory, immersive spatial experience. 

As one of the most prominent fashion boutiques in Chengdu, this project showcases the city's unique culture and interprets the local cultural context through new approaches. The giant, hanging, rotating screens have a dramatic effect and incorporate cutting-edge technology. The square, facade is open, transparent and eye-catching, forming a spatial relationship to optimize views and interaction. The rotating laminate panel, weighing over 7 tons, is suspended in the lightest way possible under constrained conditions, realizing a screen that can rotate 180 degrees horizontally and move vertically with electric control. Changing images on the big screen, background music, black and white contrasts and the silver crumpled accessory counter - all these elements promote the transition of spatial structures and circulation in line with the action of the "stage", creating holistic, immersive experiences.  

The other 23 nominees also impress with their unique and breathtaking store designs, which elevate the customer experience to a new level. We do not want to withhold impressions of these store concepts from you: