Informal Design Explores a New Model of Community Commerce

Delving into the local cultural context, community experience and dwelling spaces of Huizhou, China, Informal Design has created a community space that breaks away from conventional commercial design. Combined with an innovative property sales center, NOWSEE is conceived as a platform for experiencing future community life. Located beside the sales centre of Park View Mansion – a residential community developed by CR Land in Huizhou City, NOWSEE assumes some functions of the property sales centre, and is an important commercial destination in the community in long term.

NOWSEE – An Inwardly Enriching Community

NOWSEE comprises of five interconnected facade block. Here, swaying plants, grey pavements, warm road lamps and window seats extend inwards along the expansive pedestrian street, combining street-style layout with landscape. The street-style open circulation route vividly presents urban street elements from the inside to the outside.

The original doors and windows on the exterior facade were thick and bulky, resulting in a dark interior. As a result, the design team removed the original door and windows, and installed large transparent floor-to-ceiling push-pull glazing, to create a simple yet unified facade image. Show windows are lined side by side, allowing daylight to enter the interior to ensure an open and bright space.

The open space blurs the boundary between the community, the street and the city. Well-organised tables and seats in the interior, as well as the outdoor seating beside windows, provide various settings for its users. 

Fluid and Light

The interior is harmonious and concise, with an open vibe and flexible layout. Irregular modular units combined with few walls, structural columns and low display racks create an open space. Fluid circulations allow people to explore freely the multi-layered space.

Here, the bar counter is the central point, surrounded by different functions such as the retail area, art exhibition area, stepped reading area, casual dining area, and business negotiation area. These areas are integrated into a unified visual structure, with the retail area updated seasonally to generate diversified contents in NOWSEE.

In terms of spatial renovation and material selection, the design team tried to minimise wastage of existing building components and maximise the potential for future reuse by retaining the original flat eaves, pebblewash, and interior cement walls. The floor features grey granite and beige marbles, which are combined with original-coloured and dyed marine-grade plywood wall veneers, creating a warm, refined and refreshing atmosphere. The large-area indoor landscape injects endless vitality into the entire space, resulting in a light and breathing vibe.

To meet the display needs through minimal space transformation, the design team adopted prefabricated and modular fixtures including customised tables and seats, transparent components, and aluminum racks in NOWSEE.

Architectural materials like birch boards and stainless-steel sandblasted panels are extended to the furniture to realise a sense of unity in the space. The transparent display fixtures are composed of transparent and matte acrylic together with stainless steel plates and screws, which reveal the components’ internal structure and create a raw industrial aesthetic. Other shelves are made of aluminum square tubes and stainless-steel plates that allow for adjustable display angles and a variety of display combinations by replacing fixtures.

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