A tea shop in Shanghai by DAS Lab

A brand is a tool of cultural communication. In the interior design of the new HEYTEA chain store, specialising in tea and tea-based drinks in Hongqiao Xintiandi, the Chinese design studio, DAS Lab, has chosen to distinguish the 130-square-metre business premises by cleverly combining the spirit of the brand and the ties with the local market expressed through the choice of materials used to create it.
The design concept is broken down into three parts: an internationalised aesthetic that combines the local spirit with the contemporary nature of the territorial symbols; visual reference points that are highly recognisable in the retail spaces; the reproducibility of the building materials and the use of local artisans.
The silver-grey stainless steel structural elements contrast with the large red mortar surfaces. The red colour references the traditional Chinese building material of rammed earth and provides a visual contrast that stands out from the lightness of the structure itself. This contrast conveys the idea of the store's remarkable commercial and dynamic performance as well as the brand's cultural value. So, DAS Lab introduces that oriental sense of balanced composition that runs through the entire store. 
One very important part of the project by DAS Lab is natural light. Here, it floods the interior through large rectangular openings on the facade, also fostering a strong connection with the street in order to attract new clients. The overall spatial perception of the store is expanded further by a double-height, slanted ceiling that creates a new architectural form. 
In this way, DAS Lab proposed an interior design based on tradition and in harmony with the local culture, while at the same time taking into consideration the HEYTEA corporate mission, which the designers explored fully. Their design response is a contemporary space that respects traditional and still manages to get across the brand message elegantly and as a distinctive representation.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: DAS Lab
Location: Hongqiao Xintiandi, Shanghai, China
Year: 2019
Images: Shao Feng