MACARIA Bridal Store | Studio DOTCOF

The project is an architecture renovation and interior design for “Macaria Bridal & more” Store. Studio DOTCOF designed a white architecture with a soft-curve roof, which floating on a water surface. They hope to create a gentle, quiet, and pure space, which is suitable for wedding dress store.

The original building is a single-story steel structure building. It located in the middle of a small square, and linked with the main office building by a corridor, surrounded by a car park area.

In the first site survey, Studio DOTCOF found the original main entrance was too hidden to be identified, and difficult for visitors to find. And, after entered the building, the folding roof appears horizontally, which looks relatively low in height and slightly depressed, without reflecting the feature of the roof shape.

Furthermore, the car parks were disorganized, and some cars even park adjacently to the glass curtain wall, which blocked the scenery of the interior space.

In addition, the quality and appearance of the original steel structure is not good, conveying a sense of cheapness, as a reflection of rapid industrial manufacturing.

How to organize the relationship between the building and surrounding clutter? How to avoid the disadvantages of the current situation and even transform them into the features of the project? These are the most important problems Studio DOTCOF need to solve in this project.

Fortunately, in the first site survey, after repeatedly walking, observing, experiencing, and thinking, Studio DOTCOF, together with the client, decided to change the main entrance to south-west side. Thus, visitors can enter from the gable wall, and the gable wall then turned into the front façade.

For the client’s brand, the shape of folding roof is just implicitly coincided with the initial letter "M" of the brand name. For the renovation itself, the current main entrance become more visible for visitors to find. Enter from the gable side, visitors can experience a relatively higher space, visually avoid the lower main beam.

Once the main entrance is determined, all the other design ideas gradually came out. Studio DOTCOF pull back the glass curtain wall about 2 meters, to widen the distance between the interior space and the parking area outside.

It also provides visitors who entering and leaving the building a transition space, sheltering from the wind and rain. At the same time, Studio DOTCOF also made a shallow pool outside the building to further separate from the parking area not far away.

The curtain wall is replaced with more transparent glass, allowing sunlight enter the space from different angles. The area with the best sunlight is used as sofa reception area.

In the interior, Studio DOTCOF used thick walls to form different spaces and wrap the steel pillars and beams. The industrial and "thin slice" sense of the original steel structure is transformed into more solid and stable experience. Thick walls facilitate the positive interior spaces, and help to accommodate diverse functions inside its thickness, as the display niche, concealed cabinet, and storage rack for wedding dress etc.

Texture paints, beige travertine, carpet, translucent glass, mirror and other materials are used in different parts of the space. By the above manipulation of space and material, the design hopes to create a pure and soft space to display and experience the wedding dresses for visitors.

Project:        “MACARIA bridal & more” Store 

Client:         MACARIA

Architectural Renovation & Interior Design： Studio DOTCOF

Design Team：          Xi Chen，Haolai Zhuang，Rong Li，Lan Lan，Guangguo Yao

MEP Designer：          Mu Li，Maoqian Lang

Contractor：      Shanghai Construction Group

Address：          Fenglin Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China

Project Category：     Architectural Renovation & Interior Design

GFA：          402m2

Completion Date：    2020.11

Photographer：        Mono Photo Center

Photographer：       Mono

Materials: Nipa Texture paint, Dalun Ceramics, Rongkai Carpet