The first hypostatic store design of Somur Innovative Genetech located in Yiwu, China. It is a health care company named after Turritopsis nutricula, a type of jellyfish that once reaching adulthood, can transfer its cells back to childhood so as to achieve immortal life.
The idea was to learn from this immortal jellyfish and bring the spirits of the health care company to spacial perception. The existing space was considered as a bigger cell, in which the miracle of life originates as a single one, as it grows it differentiates, combines and reproduces several cells, forming private consulting rooms and public spaces.
A suspended circular projection system together with red-stone-cross paving stands right at the entry, as a metaphor of the red-core jellyfish, exhibiting the company’s vision on Genetech services.
Each consulting room represents a cell, built in vault structure either in plan or in section, all equipped with wall screening, projection system and built-in printer, enable for live online or offline chat between users and their doctors. Light is adjustable in colors and brightness to give certain tones within the rooms. Yet with unique spatial quality and furniture set each room has acquired its own identity.
To connect the seperated parts of the existing space, which is cut through by a fire exit, a vaulted canopy is added between the fire doors, along with fire-glass doors both the visual and spatial passage is cheerfully continued.
The event space, designed flexible for lecture, seminar or daily cafe, operates independently on the other side of the passage. The VIP-room is equipped with a Corian tea table designed for Kungfu Tea, paired with diffused light from the wall arch and side niche, rendering a Chapel-like atmosphere.
The emerald green is adopted from the Somur VI, which highlights all the crucial turns in different materiality, while rest of the job is done by lighting. More than 70% of the space is lit by indirect lighting, rendering a soft and neutral tone with perfect balance in luminance.
Photos: Dajun He
Lighting Consultant: Weiwei
