Location: Shanghai, China.

Architect: BE-Hive.

Rainbow Arches is a brand that focuses on contemporary physical meditation and therapy based on Chinese colorization energy. The flagship store is located in Shanghai and serves as a meditation and classroom space, headquarter office, and prototype space for future stores. The design challenge was to create a physical space framework that fully understood the brand and its services while maintaining a strong identity. The existing space is an office/commercial building with a preset structure and plan. The most efficient layout would have been to distribute all the different functions into rooms along the curtain wall. However, the design team wanted to create a more inspiring and spiritual space that could be used in both static and dynamic states. The goal was to create an atmosphere where users felt like they were discovering unknowns while experiencing the space. After comprehensive discussions with the client, an oval space was added to the main space. The oval accommodates multiple space functions and activities and becomes the true nucleus of the flagship store. It can be used as a meeting and training space for office staff, meditation space for customers, and an entertainment space. The reception counter is located on the south-east corner, and the bar counter is on the north-west corner. The openings along the elevation of the oval geometry with curved glass allow transparency between inside and outside and reflect the city view on the surface of the curved glass. Two entry openings are located on the other two corners of this oval space, and the remaining interior functions are placed along this oval geometry to surround it. Overall, the design team successfully created a physical space framework that fully understood the brand and its services while maintaining a strong identity. The oval space became the true nucleus of the flagship store and can be used for multiple functions and activities. The design also successfully created an atmosphere where users felt like they were discovering unknowns while experiencing the space.

Photo credit: Tim Wu.