Project Overview

The opening of the Huawei flagship store in the historic business center of Tianjin enhances the link between Huawei's user experience and community life and also emphasizes that the business experience space is an integral part of urban life. The original intention of the design is to revitalize the commercial district with the most historical significance in Tianjin, give new functions to the protected building, and restore the glory of 100 years ago.
Huawei Flagship Store Tianjin Binjiang Road has become a trend leader in the city's technological life, showcasing Tianjin's optimism and urban character, bringing confidence to urban renewal. The design leads people to recall the sense of achievement and excitement at the birth of modern commerce in Tianjin, making it once again a "desirable city parlor". From the moment it opens to the public, the century-old building will be reinvigorated, and a wide variety of events and celebrations will bring more impetus to the downtown commercial district.

Organisation

TUPDI + DLR GROUP

Team

Zhao Chunshui, Dong Tianjie, Jiang Junlu, Li Jinlan, Chen Xu, Liu Chang, Han Hailei, Liu Jianhong, Zhou Na, Sun Kezhang, Li Xuliang, Liu Lei, Liu Liang, Liu Dezhong, Johnny Lin, Liu Bohan

Project Brief

The project involves the renovation of the historic building "Traffic Hotel". The flagship store with a business area of more than 2,700 square meters is designed with a product experience area, HUAWEI Community, a whole house intelligent experience area, a sports and health area, an art exhibition area, a coffee area, and so on. It adopts a modern interior design style to demonstrate the sense of science technology and fashion of Huawei products. Modern processes and techniques, fine material selection, and combinations are used to create pure and modern interior spaces. The designers try to use as few materials as possible, such as terrazzo, glass, metal, and wood, to create a simple, delicate, and elegant atmosphere.
In terms of space design, the project attaches great importance to the connection between the interior space of the flagship store and the urban space. When customers step inside the outdoor arcade space, they can see a diamond-shaped atrium and a sculptural spiral staircase leads them to the second floor. The Huawei Community on the second floor provides a place for customers to learn and communicate, and a series of public flow lines connect the store with the city.

Project Innovation/Need

The outline of the public space of the flagship store is restored according to the blueprint of the century-old building, so as to recover the historical memory. The historical approach integrates the main entrance flow line at the corner with the irregular street interface to achieve the most comfortable spatial feeling. The central spiral staircase is a highlight of the space, showcasing the artistic feeling and functionality. The designers carefully study the height, width, and radian of every step and handrail, and the form of their connection with the ground and guardrail, and elaborately design the details and guarantee the quality.
To better adapt to more business service modes that relate to urban life, the business exhibition space is designed with a coffee bar, a plant rest area, a children's entertainment area, an art exhibition area, and a sports and health area, so as to create a new and upgraded multi-dimensional business format. Such a design can meet the needs of customers of all ages, provide a rich variety of experiences and activities, and also make Huawei products subtly integrated into the daily life of the public.

Design Challenge

The restoration work of the building strictly adheres to the principle of "restoring the old as the old". The design team carries out necessary structural reinforcement and repair to the historical building "Traffic Hotel" built in 1928 so that it and the surrounding bazaar, Zhejiang Industrial Bank, and Huizhong Restaurant together present a picture of the integration of history and modernity. In order to restore the original appearance of the historical building, the design team has arranged several visits and consulted a large number of books and archives to find the relevant historical data and original drawings, and finally found the original design blueprint. The team carries out detailed material research and matching tests to match the original granitic plaster texture in the building and restore the effect. What's more, the project recreates the historic arcade design based on the original architectural drawings, which elegantly returns the urban space to the public and adds a folksy and warm touch to the entrance of the flagship store.
Inside the building, modern technological upgrades and the integration of intelligent systems ensure the smooth operation of commercial functions and the preservation of the charm of the historic building. Huawei's various products, such as mobile phones, tablets, smart home devices, etc., are displayed in the store, and it will also regularly hold cultural exhibitions and technical lectures, which makes it a technological and cultural landmark in Tianjin and even the whole country.

Sustainability

The project's emphasis on sustainability is also reflected in the choice of environmentally friendly materials and technologies and the application of green building concepts. These efforts have made certain beneficial contributions to the sustainable development of the city. The renovation of the interior spaces involves the modernization and upgrade of fire protection and electrical facilities and the clever combination of historical details and a modern retail environment. The introduction of modern technologies such as smart lighting and AV systems injects new vitality into the old building and optimizes the shopping and learning experience for customers. Here, customers can not only experience Huawei's cutting-edge technology but also immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of this nearly century-old building.

The Huawei Flagship Store Tianjin Binjiang Road is not just a redefinition of commercial space, it is a symbol of the city's cultural pride and a window for Tianjin to showcase its history, culture, and innovative vitality to the world.