UNStudio takes customer experience to new heights

Tenderstream member UNStudio has partnered with Huawei, the Chinese pioneer in information and communications technology and smart products, to design the company’s new flagship store in Shanghai. The aim is to create a distinct and user-driven customer experience by devising an experience-rich concept that brings together people, nature and technology, while also catering to consumer preferences. 

Inspired by nature and Huawei’s ‘Harmony’ operating system, the geometry of the two-storey Huawei Taikoo Li flagship store is based on biophilic forms that transition from outside to inside. High performance, certified and recycled materials are adopted to reduce environmental damage and sustain the lifetime of the building, while detachable prefabricated systems are applied on the floors and ceilings.

Referencing the dynamics of growth within natural structures, the design reflects the algorithm that echoes Huawei's polar codes technology. Hannes Pfau, UNStudio partner, explains: “Huawei TKL flagship store re-crafts Huawei’s innovative technology into a design aesthetic. It seamlessly creates a unified facade and interior narrative, while using high performance, certified and recycled materials.”

Across the facade, petal-like features appear at different stages of growth, evolving in scale and rotation, to form an integrated geometric system that combines the brand with nature and technology. A key feature, the spiralling ‘Tree of Harmony’, continues the aesthetic of the exterior facade into the store. The ‘tree’ is designed to facilitate interactive experiences through augmented reality (AR): visitors are able to have a sensory experience of nature through sight, sound and smell. Across the two-storey building, ‘Signature Experience’ zones offer featured exhibits and services, while ‘Consumer Full Scenario Experience’ zones enable interaction with Huawei’s products.  A community area is open to all visitors and can be configured flexibly depending on events. 

Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio, stated: “Among the many interfaces found in retail nowadays, the flagship store we have created for Huawei in Shanghai is one that blends interactive experiences, technology and community creation. The new store re-imagines modern retail spaces as inviting environments that promote a sense of community and provide a contemporary venue for consumers and visitors to meet, share and innovate.” 

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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