CHOW TAI FOOK LONGFOR PRADISE SHOP | One plus partnership

The concept of ‘Gift’ has been expressly identified in Confucius’ ethics. For this project, we combine the ‘Gift’ concept - which is a unique theme that we have been using for the Chow Tai Fook Experience Shops - with the 600-year-old imperial city Beijing. We extracted elements from the Forbidden City in Beijing, e.g. the supporting wooden architecture, the ubiquitous columns and the studs on the gates, then integrated all of them into this project.

The Forbidden City was both the residence and office of the emperor in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Therefore, it is undoubtedly one of the most important landmarks in Beijing. The columns and studs on the gates are definitely few of the main design characteristics of the Forbidden City. On the background wall of the shop, we carefully re-design the studs in colours of pink and gold. The studs are arranged in rows and columns of 9, representing longevity and power. Red is chosen as the main colour scheme, which symbolizes honour. The green boxes on the ceiling echoes with the design theme of ‘Gift’. The color combination of red and green is rather eye-catching. In addition to enhancing the visual effect, it can also draw visitors’ attention to the box design on the ceiling.

The red wall is designed according to the shape of gift boxes and palace pillars. You can also see red cabinets and columns distributed randomly in the shop. The wall is in various shades of colours, which creates a dynamic and vivid visual effect. The high display cabinet also displays some jewelry processing tools that we have previously designed for Chow Tai Fook. Together with the large screen on the background wall, it shows visitors the processing of gold jewelry.

In addition to the wall design and decoration, the boxes on the ceiling respond to the design theme of ‘Gift’, and the floor display cabinets and chairs also look like gift boxes. The ceiling boxes are printed with a pattern of peonies and auspicious clouds. The peonies have an extremely high status in traditional Chinese culture. They are valued greatly there and referred to as the ‘king of flowers’ that symbolizes honor, riches and prosperity; whilst the auspicious cloud symbolizes joy and blessing in ancient China. In the old days, most of these patterns appeared in the homes or utensils of royal families and dignitaries. The colorful peony flower ornaments in dark shades, accompanied by auspicious clouds with red background, appear indistinctly on the ceiling. The stacked square boxes on the ceiling are in sharp contrast with the round marble floor mosaic. This contrast symbolises the ancient Chinese philosophy of ‘a square earth with a round sky above’, and also enriches the overall space and makes it more three-dimensional.

In designing this new store, we have integrated the design with many symbolic patterns and representation of traditional Chinese culture. We hope that it will bring joy and an extra layer of cultural meaning upon the visit of each customer.