646 TOTEME Beijing Sanlitun

Transforming the Existing
We began by visiting the neighborhood and the two-story building, and immediately decided to completely strip the interior. The slab, non-load-bearing walls and technical installations were removed down to the structural skeleton, revealing a space more than nine meters high on a compact nine meter by fifteen-meter footprint. Only a slender T-shaped beam at the height of the upper floor entrance indicates a division between the upper and lower levels. Rather than partially or even completely adding back floor slabs, we chose to emphasize the verticality of the space, integrating it into the experience and using it for display purposes.

A Totem-Like Staircase
A staircase with a strong, totem-like presence is the main element of the store. Made of steel plates and finished in a high-gloss, off-white lacquer, it connects the street-level shopping area with a secondary entrance on the upper floor; Urbanistically, it adds an essential connection to the shopping area’s circulation system. On the ground floor, the totem staircase starts with a small square footprint of 2.4 x 2.4 meters and unfolds in simple and modular steps into a more elaborate geometry. The staircase’s footprint is rotated 45 degrees from the typical north-south alignment of Beijing’s urban grid, highlighting its distinctiveness and significance within the city and the space. With each flight, the staircase expands slightly more into the space, bringing the visitor either closer or further away from the surrounding walls, much like a scholar’s rock or an artificial mountain in a traditional Chinese garden. Each landing on the staircase introduces a moment to pause, observe and, above all, to shop. Stair balustrades fold into horizontal surfaces that become display shelves, transforming each landing into specific product areas. The top landing appears to touch the ceiling, creating an intimate moment for the presentation of jewelry. A three-dimensional LED ceiling forms the “sky” above the staircase, on which campaigns, media art and movies can be shown.

Material Restraint
Inside, the walls are clad in pleated white fabric, detailed to appear gentle and precise, light and monolithic, permeable yet also at times opaque. The layering and stepping of the pleated fabric naturally open up the wall for products to be hung and displayed. The floor is an oak parquet composed of various modules and finished in high gloss lacquerwork which resembles the craft of traditional Chinese furniture and objects. Altogether, the black floor and ceiling frame the white world in between.

Translating the Interior into the Exterior
The design of the project’s exterior begins with an urban gesture – a 15-meter-long bench along the south façade invites people to meet, linger, and interact. The façade evolves from the interior concept, where the materials and form are translated into a sculptural mass. The interior geometries and textures are expressed on the exterior in solid, mineral materials, creating a connection between the two. This solid façade is carefully opened in three places: an entrance on the ground floor, another on the upper floor, and a large display window that connects the inside to the outside. This window allows a glimpse of the interior, sparking curiosity among passing pedestrians.

Quotes
“Our collaboration with TOTEME was based on mutual trust and inspiration from the very beginning. TOTEME founder Karl Lindman and his team provided us with a balance of creative freedom and clear, concise feedback and direction. Our team worked seamlessly together with the TOTEME team, creating a truly collaborative and constructive partnership. They were highly supportive and engaged happily in our design process, which combines strong conceptual thinking with research, development, and a willingness to embrace trial and error to reach the most fitting outcome.”
-Andreas Fries

“Our starting point for the TOTEME store in Beijing was to work with the ‘found’ – with what exists already on site. The raw, hollowed-out space breaks with the typical scale and proportion of a standard shop layout, creating a sense of verticality and grandness despite its small footprint. By thoughtfully placing the totem stair and zigzag bridge within this shell, we introduce spatial diversity and offer new, unexpected experiences. The restrained color and material palette – featuring black and white, pleated fabric, honed stone, painted metal, cast glass, and lacquered wood – reflect TOTEME’s core values and are at same time a subtle nod to Chinese culture and craftsmanship.”
-Ascan Mergenthaler

变形记

现场勘察了周边环境和现存的两层建筑物后， 我们即刻决定清空建筑内装，拆除所有非承重墙和技术装置，只保留结构骨架，在九米乘十五米的紧凑占地面积上，一个九米多高的空间赫然出现。唯留一条细长的T型房梁至二层入口处高度，以区分上下楼层。与其全部或部分将楼板填补回去，我们选择强调空间的垂直性以增强观感和展示性。

图腾柱般的楼梯

楼梯的设计似图腾柱般，存在感强大，是店内的主体元素。楼梯由钢板制成，米白色高光漆面，连接起临街一层的购物空间和拥有独立入口的二层空间。从城市化的角度来看，它为此购物区的动线系统增加了一个重要的链接点。一层楼梯起始占地面积只是一个2.4米乘2.4米的正方形，简约的模块化台阶逐渐展开并最终构成了更巧妙复杂的几何造型。 区别于北京典型的正南正北朝向的城市格局，楼梯的方向旋转了45度，巧思隽永，更凸显了它在城市和此空间中的独特性。每走一段楼梯，空间随之微微扩展，将顾客或近或远的引领到周围的墙壁，酷似中国古典园林中的供石或假山。

阶梯的每层平台都为顾客提供停留，观赏，尤其是购物的契机。楼梯的栏板水平折叠成平面展示台，将每层阶梯平台升级成为商品的特色展区。楼梯顶部的平台借势似要触摸天顶，为珠宝品项的展示创造了一个绝佳的私密空间。五面LED显屏构成了立体天花板，如同悬在楼梯上方的天空，同时还可播放宣传片，媒体艺术和电影。

选材用料冷静克制

店内的墙壁用白色褶裥织物包覆，流露着优雅且精准，轻盈且厚实，通而不透的质感。褶裥织物通过分层和错位自然地打开了墙体表面，用于悬挂和展示商品。亮光漆橡木实木地板由不同模块拼组而成，其工艺手法与中式传统家具和物件的制作相似。整体而言，黑色的地板和天花板将白色的世界镶嵌其中。

内外风格相得益彰

项目外观设计的起手式彰显现代都市风姿，一条15米的长凳沿建筑南墙铺开，邀请人们在此驻足，偶遇，小憩，互动。外立面设计从内装核心理念演变而来，将其用材的质感和形状转化成雕塑般的体量。内观的几何图形和纹理借由坚固的矿物材料在外观上得以充分的表达，两者可谓相得益彰。坚固的外墙有三处精心设置的开口，一个是底层入口，另一个是二层入口，另外还有一个可连接内部和外部的大型展示橱窗。透过它店铺内部一窥可视，激发了过往行人的好奇心。

引言

“我们与 TOTEME的合作从最初就建立了相互信任和灵感激发的基础。TOTEME 创始人卡尔-林德曼（Karl Lindman）先生和他的团队既为我们提供了创意的自由，又以简明清晰的反馈指定方向。我们的团队与 TOTEME 团队合作紧密无间，建立了真正的协作和建设性伙伴关系。对我们的设计他们给予了高度支持，并乐于参与其中。强大的概念性思维与善于研发和勇于试错的精神相互结合出最佳成果。”
-Andreas Fries

“设计TOTEME 北京旗舰店的始发点是在已有的场地中’发现创新’。尽管原场占地面积不大，我们打破了标准店铺布局的典型尺度和比例，在被掏空的原始空间内营造出了垂直感和宏伟感。图腾柱状楼梯与之字形回桥被巧妙地放置其中，空间的多样性立显眼帘，营造出了新观感和意想不到的体验。黑白主色调节制内敛，材质奢华色调安静，选用褶裥织物、磨光石材、喷绘金属、铸造玻璃和大漆木 – 既反映了 TOTEME 的核心价值，同时也是对中国传统文化和工艺的巧妙致敬。”
-Ascan Mergenthaler