The design of the Camper Flagship store in Shanghai was undertaken by the Chinese practice of Neri + Hu. The concept of the design is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional two storey home commonly seen in the narrow streets of Shanghai. The designers created a simple house like structure cut in half which they placed inside an industrial space. By using reclaimed wood and grey bricks, a realistic framework was created as a base to be transformed into an impressive showroom and office space for the well known Spanish brand of Camper.
By positioning the ‘house’ on one side of the warehouse and using a mirror, the effect of an open book was created, enlarging the visual space and creating an ‘non-tang’ or alleyway to be used for gatherings and events. An overhead skylight allows daylight into the space and steel rods and hooks holding shoes are suspended from above as a reference to the familiar sight of washing hanging out to dry in the narrow streets of the city.
A wall of transparencies edged with the signature red of the brand frames the walls and stairs leading up to the office space. The shoes are displayed in various forms, suspended in the windows and placed on lightweight perforated metal shelving custom designed by the Neri + Hu, and even a simple ‘lazy susan’ seen in Chinese dining rooms. A delightfully relevant design of ‘a home within a home’ for the brand’s first ‘home’ in China continues Camper’s custom of commissioning only the very best in the world of international design, to create their impressive retail spaces.
