Project Overview

From private into prying, as new interpretation takes over, by extend thinking from human relations into commercial spatial design,YEBIN DESIGN seeks possibilities of new concept. As a multi-brand boutique that brings together hot seasonal items from trendy brands and fashion weeks all over the world, CHOCLAB collaborates with YEBIN DESIGN and tries to interpret the contemporary human centered design by proposing a new idea for commercial space—“new interpretation with the right amount of balance”.

Unlike most multi-brand stores that expose huge internal areas from outside, CHOCLAB abandons an open design in the storefront; but instead, uses a facade with geometrical combination, and a door that seems to be permanently closed. This ritualistic entrance is an attempt on the contradicting experience of private and prying.

Only through a closer look can people discover a line of golden holes, and a window with the store’s name written on it. And only through them, can people get a vague glance of what’s inside the store.

Project Commissioner

CHOCLAB

Project Creator

Yebin Interior Design Studio

Project Brief

People wants their own privacy, yet cannot control their urge to pry into other’s privacy—this is the concept that YEBIN DESIGN and CHOCLAB want to express. This design attends to private space, yet is not entirely sealed off, therefore triggers the desire of wanting to go explore inside.
In both working and living, people like to have bright and open environment in order to keep a positive atmosphere; in the same time they need independent space for thinking and retreating.

The first floor of CHOCLAB uses a simple and bright structure: by using white that gives plenty of space to imagination, and a vibrant lively gold, the visual entity becomes more spacious; while using criss-crossing geometric patterns to divide the space into several zones to enhance a visual connection.
While socializing among people, we always first look into their faces, and then, their attires.
From this perspective, YEBIN DESIGN develops a face-to-face showing rack that extends from human faces. This incorporates the experience of socializing, and implies that fashion is not only an art of people, but also a way of communicating.

Project Innovation/Need

According to the positioning of CHOCLAB, the store doesn’t require packed showing areas, therefore, YEBIN DESIGN didn’t choose any complicated decorations or closely connected structural division. The route entering the space is diverse and the flow is distinct. All the details on the exhibiting points can lead audiences to better focus on the products.
On the first floor, the staircase that goes to the second floor hides behind the projection wall. This goes along the concept of concealing, which is manifested on the storefront.
Cone, line, and square—the use of these geometric characters effortlessly joins together a lively and chic atmosphere.

The staircase is divided with the same gold and white color, the peculiar decoration around the corner strikes attentions, and makes people wonder about the 'secret’ hidden upstairs.

Design Challenge

On the second floor, left side of the stairs belongs to clothing collections, while the CHOCLAB KITCHEN is tucked away in the right side. It is especially difficult to handle the relationship between the restaurant and the clothing store due to smell. YEBIN DESIGN erects surface as wall, yet breaks the wall to create order: in the original space, several vertical independent walls are built to function as the dividing surface between the space.
On the wall, as well as exhibiting props, the various cut, convex, and concave, reconstruct a new order of the surface. This order is again broken by adding the transparency on the lower part of the wall, implicitly building a “overlap” among the two spatial entities.
Commercial design is not just about the shop itself, but also the culture phenomenon behind it, and a experience-oriented visual display; it is also about building a platform, a human-centered interpretation, a diversified service, as well as a living and socializing circle based on the buyer’s selection of trend.
Through a thorough thinking of the business, s scene experiment based on human nature, and a deconstruction of the spatial composition, YEBIN DESIGN creates new interpretation in the CHOCLAB project, and will carry on such approaches in various ways in future design projects.

Sustainability

The project adopted local materials like iron, copper, leather, and concrete bricks.