Panasonic, Hangzhou, China

GIFTS OFTEN COME in shiny boxes. Panasonic (Kadoma, Japan) supersized that concept at its new flagship in Hangzhou, China, a two-story retail destination whose exterior is anchored by gray bricks at the bottom that are gradually interspersed with and then replaced fully by silver-plated ones at the top.

That scheme, along with a decision to create a set of large display windows on the building’s front façade, were the brainchildren of locally based Say Architects, which beat out six other design firms to win its first commission for the seller of consumer electronics and major household appliances.

A two-story, glassed-in addition on one end of the building was created by Say Architects to add even greater visibility to the store’s interior.

The display windows and the brick scheme were part of a deliberate effort to differentiate the flagship – dubbed the “bright house” by participants – from those of its international competitors. “Traditionally, stores that sell electrical appliances are relatively closed-in, with façades covered by large advertisements,” says Jianan Shan, Say’s Lead Designer. “Those ads, in turn, become the start of consumers’ buying decisions. However, we adjusted the façade of the building by opening up eight external display windows that make it easier for visitors to start by visually connecting with actual products.”

As for the brick façade, Shan says the move from gray ones on the bottom floor to shiny silver on the second floor represents “an integration of traditional culture and technological innovation.” The reflective bricks also change the building’s appearance over the course of the day, and the bubbled, natural texture on the silver-plated bricks act as mirrors that diffuse the reflection of nearby light, thereby reducing light pollution in the area.

Mirrors also play a major role in the first floor’s display space, which carries such smaller items as the brand’s cameras, landline phone systems and hair dryers. Overhead is a series of 13 stainless-steel mirrors “that help consumers understand the products on display in multiple dimensions,” says Shan.

The building’s second floor is home to Panasonic’s larger consumer offerings, including washers/dryers and refrigerators, and a staircase leading to a rooftop relaxation zone. “That outdoor space brings flexible customer interactions to the space, and interaction is what this flagship is all about,” says Shan.

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