STUDIO 9 / AIM Architecture

Studio 9 presents a new concept in furniture retail conceived with the design community at its heart, a space to meet, collaborate and progress. Situated on the ground floor of a former textile factory in a quiet street of JingAn’s district, a rich program of events centered around design and people brings the space to life, creating a new destination on Shanghai’s cultural scene. Taking its cues from the building’s former history and the rawness of its concrete structure, the design underscores the contrast between existing architecture and added elements that refine, organize, and soften. On the outside, a 6m high glass facade wraps the space, flooding it with daylight. On the inside, a grid formation of columns arranges into a U-shaped layout to create a core that connects two atriums in the center of the building, the design goal being to extend the showroom into the public part of the ground floor. Terrazzo flooring spans across both spaces and a moveable glass partition works as an ephemeral boundary that can open fully or partially to allow for a flexible from between the two sides.