häfele’s 1,000 m² flagship showroom by AIM architecture is an underground project in shanghai, china. due to its location, the designers encountered the challenge of ensuring adequate natural lighting, which shall be puts into effect with great impact on design the entrance and the surface construction. the hardware company also required the ability to present multiple experiences apart from the product zones of the main hall. ‘ultimately, the surface construction design swept the obstacles away from these lighting concerns, which consisted of huge glass and red structure and ingeniously made out a häfele‘s symbol red door,’ says AIM.

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
the entrance tower 
all images courtesy of häfele

 

from the entrance, a stark white staircase descends directly into the triangle-shaped center of wood and concrete, the only spot with that receives daylight. around this space, different zones for specific items are established and are divided by big sliding doors. as a result, the building itself becomes a part of the showroom, and maximally expresses the theme.

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
a side of the tower 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
the staircase that descends underground

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
central triangle area 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
the surrounding areas are closed by wooden planks

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
open surrounding area 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
open the surrounding area 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
stairs leads to the showroom 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
lights pass through the tower 

aim architecture hafele showroom shanghai china designboom
the original area of the tower

 

 

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