Timeless Treasures Found at the Vintage Forge - 15 Studios

Vintage Store Design: Combining Old and New Textures for a Unique Shopping Experience

Located in the art district, the 15 Studio Eternal Hammer Vintage Store is a two-story steel frame building with weathering steel skin. With a limited budget, the design team faced the challenge of creating an atmosphere in line with the vintage store theme while utilizing the existing conditions.

The site's shape is similar to a long and narrow cone, and after repairing thermal insulation and waterproofing issues, the design retained the rough texture of the site and the narrow and long space. By placing a new frame and increasing the front and rear layers, a flexible partition was created that met the store's functional and display needs.

The first floor features a large open space in the middle, with all fixed functions arranged along the wall to leave ample room for vintage store displays, events, and offices. To add spatial dynamics and randomness, three hanging rails were designed on the top of the large space, with a 4.6-meter-long steel pipe hanger suspended underneath. This hanger can be randomly arranged according to the store's different needs, while L-shaped angle steel pieces on the wall can be flexibly placed for display boards.

The second floor also retains a large space in the middle and uses different furniture arrangements to display non-hangable goods such as bags, shoes, and ornaments. Mirrors were strategically placed to guide the sight from outside to inside and create an interesting effect of echoing each other.

The colour blue was highly operable in the space to create an overall atmosphere. The floor slab on the second floor serves as the blue centre, while the top of the first floor retains the original steel frame and is painted blue. The hangers hanging on the top of the first floor and the hangers fixed on the ground of the second floor are also blue, establishing a connection between the two floors.

The design team also aimed to create a dialogue between old and new textures. The existing red brick texture on the wall and the weathering steel on the facade were repaired and stabilized to become the building's traces of time. Newly added materials such as steel, birch boards, plaster, non-slip iron plates, and mirrors contrast with the original materials, creating a multi-layered dialogue in a small space.

The 15 Studio Eternal Hammer Vintage Store successfully combines old and new textures to create a unique shopping experience. With its spatial dynamics, randomness, and overall atmosphere, this vintage store is a must-visit destination for shoppers looking for one-of-a-kind finds.

LOCATION: CHINA - BEIJING

DESIGNER: 15 STUDIO

PROJECT YEAR: 2023