Sò Studio, a design firm based in Shanghai, has created a new retail space for Canal St, a high-end streetwear brand from New York City. The store is located on Xinle Road in Shanghai and aims to “bring the lifestyle of downtown New York City to Shanghai.”
Sò Studio, a design firm based in Shanghai, has created a new retail space for Canal St, a high-end streetwear brand from New York City. The store is located on Xinle Road in Shanghai and aims to “bring the lifestyle of downtown New York City to Shanghai.” The studio believes that despite their geographical differences, the two major cities share many commonalities.
Sò Studio states, “In New York, you can see the coexistence of elements from the industrial era, centuries ago, with cutting-edge art, fashion, and pop culture.” The designers added, “The unique spirit of Shanghai is built on the foundation of traditional Chinese culture and a century of concessions.” “There has always been tension, and everything new here is also polished and precipitated over time.” The New York theme also fits the store’s name – Canal Street is a major east-west thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan.
From the store’s floor plan, a staircase was removed from the center to create a short walkway that resembles a New York City subway. Two seats in plastic orange hues lean against the wall. A series of metal rings were hung overhead, mimicking the handholds that standing subway passengers often grab during their journeys. A yellow glowing sign (similar to the signs typically depicting destinations at the front of trains) has been used to point out the store’s changing rooms, with the passageway partly covered with silver metal blinds.
Green glass frames flanking the new staircase and two square green display shelves that showcase products offer a splash of color. Other industrial-style elements throughout the two-story store include steel clothing racks, exposed bolts in structural columns, and metal wire mesh partitions. Several display platforms also feature lighting tabletops covered with mesh metal to mimic manholes—openings scattered around New York City that allow access to the underground sewer system. Initially, the entire surface of Canal St. needed a sweep with paint. But after completely removing the previous renovation, the studio felt that the existing worn concrete walls better reflected the New York dichotomy of new and old.
Project Information:
Project Name: “Canal St. ” Streetwear Store
Project Type: Commercial Space, Retail Store, Clothing Store, Streetwear Store
Project Location: No. 163 Xinle Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
Design Company: Sò studio
Main Materials: Corrugated Board, Colored Glass, Concrete, Embossed Steel Plate, Steel Mesh, Mirror, Texture Paint, Ultra-White Tempered Glass
Photography: Sò studio
