WEMPE, BEIJING
Wempe, Beijing flagship boutique celebrates the experiential nature of retail and the strength that design can communicate through a layering of narratives, context sensitivity and materiality.
Unlike other multi-brand timepiece and jeweler that are designed to accommodate multiple brands with differing design languages in a single space, we envisioned a singular retail atmosphere that was modeled after a home with living rooms, library and individual brand cosmos’s.
Each cosmos was dedicated to a brand and was positioned in a clockwise format around a central transformable space. This central “heart” housed a diamond lab that could be converted into an event space when necessary through operable sliding walls.
Inspiration was drawn from Chinese Ming and Qing dynasty lattice designs mixed with Wempe’s iconic typography to create a customized screen wall at the library and acid etching on the curved glass walls.
Privacy and exclusivity was created through the layering of a palette of materials consisting of lava stone, wood, leather, glass and metal.
A holistic atmosphere was achieved by attention to detail and customized furniture design. Timepieces sales tables were masculine and rectangular whilst Jewelry sales tables were feminine and semi-circular in geometry. The geometry of the chairs and sofa took cues from Wempe’s product packaging.
Like a timepiece with many moving parts working together in harmonious motion, we hope to have achieved this in Wempe, Beijing’s interior design.