Chinese children’s fashion brand Balabala has built a multi-use store in the city of Foshan that doubles as a public space connecting the city on one side, with the Lingnan Tiandi Scenic Area on the other.
The two-storey rectangular shaped building has a tree and greenery-lined atrium that runs straight through the middle, from front to back, giving both locals and tourists permission to use the space as a walkway between the city and the area of natural beauty.
Retail, hospitality and leisure spaces line the outer edges of the building, giving passersby reason to stop and dwell. The first floor includes the main Balabala retail store space and a coffee bar, as well as an area the brand refers to as “a park-like courtyard”.
On the second floor is a children’s hairdressers, an afternoon tea space geared towards children and parents, and a children’s entertainment space.
According to DUTS Design, which created the store, the aim was to create a space that appealed to Balabala shoppers, while also inviting in all of the different stakeholders in the local community.
A spokesperson for DUTS said: “We want children to have fun here, adults to feel relaxed, community residents to feel it is convenient, and tourists to feel that it has local cultural characteristics.
“So, we thought, why not make it a PARK where people can travel and relax? We pictured a continuous, flexible, and inclusive space: PARK by balabala was born.”
Full address: No.11,Chancheng district, Foshan, Guangdong, China
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