lukstudio assembles urban prisms on a shanghai plaza

earlier in 2016, lukstudio was commissioned by an eyewear company to design and construct a temporary pavilion in just under a month. located in shanghai, china, the site is on a busy plaza between jiu guang, an upmarket department store, and jing’an temple, a historic tourist attraction. the design seeks to challenge the usual typology of pop-up retail outlets by creating a vibrant urban sculpture.

all images by peter dixie for LOTAN architectural photography

lukstudio arranged ‘urban prisms’ to direct pedestrian flow, while establishing a dialogue between the pavilion and the surrounding plaza. the structure is made from a grid of white scaffolding, which supports a flat canopy that protects visitors from both heat and rain. in contrast to the linear grid, the roof is punctured by three white prisms made from translucent polycarbonate panels. at night, the entire pavilion glows gently from within.

the project is sited on a busy plaza in shanghai

based on the eyewear brand’s ‘injection’ series, the design team explored different ways of using color within space. sitting on an elevated platform, the pavilion is divided into three specific areas: the ‘experience chamber’, the retail chamber, and public seating. the experience chamber features a subtle color transition across its tall, multi-faceted walls, while the retail chamber displays colorful sunglasses, as well as wall-mounted triangles of recycled lenses.

the structure is made from a grid of white scaffolding

centrally positioned seating offers a respite from the hectic city. here, a prismatic skylight is lined with neon-colored acrylic towards the sloping white bench below. ‘urban prisms demonstrates how a commercial design can benefit from urban flow and contribute to a better public space,’ explains the design team. watch a time-lapse video of the pavilion under construction below.

site time-lapse of ‘urban prisms’ by lukstudio
video by vision rouge

the roof is punctured by three white prisms made from translucent polycarbonate panels

at night, the entire pavilion glows gently from within

a subtle color transition occurs across the tall, multi-faceted walls

centrally positioned seating offers a respite from the hectic city

sitting on an elevated platform, the pavilion is divided into specific areas

a prismatic skylight is lined with neon-colored acrylic

the design seeks to challenge the usual typology of pop-up retail outlets

site plan

floor plan

project info:

client: mujosh
location: jing’an, shanghai
net area: 100 sqm
scope: architecture, interior, installation
project period: june – july 2016
architect: lukstudio
team: christina luk, yiye lin, alba beroiz blazquez, ray ou, leo wang, celia mahon-heap, cai jin
hong, marcello chiado rana
lighting consultant: studio illumine
3D visualization: milos zivkovic
general contractor: centroid construction
video: vision rouge shanghai
photography: peter dixie for LOTAN architectural photography
special thanks to marta calamai