Founded in 2014, streetwear brand Beaster has since seen a rapid growth that’s witnessed by an expanding number of branded retail spaces at homebase Hangzhou and other nearby cities. The latest outpost to open is in Suzhou, in the neighbouring province of Jiangsu, where the brand has secured a 296 sqm. (3,186 sq.ft.) unit at Suzhou Central Plaza. Mind you, this shopping centre measures over 300,000 sqm. (3,299,173 sq.ft.) spread across seven floors, and needless to say, it’s the city’s biggest venue where local shoppers splurge. For this new underground-level retail space, Beaster tapped Shanghai-based architecture practice Some Thoughts to create an interior design that not only resonates with its young clientele’s sensibilities, but also one that stands out.
Interestingly, the design deviates from the polished aesthetic of most streetwear brands which usually aims to enhance a brand’s image and very often signals outdated brand values, and instead allows the existing product range to influence the spatial dimensions of the premises. The approach has resulted in an adventurously offbeat, open-plan configuration captured by a sobre palette of materials, including bricks, stainless steel multi-layer pine board and fibreglass reinforced plastic grids, that strongly signals an entirely different and more eco-conscious mindset. The various industrial-style volumes which have been created actively invite shoppers to explore the premises while also adding up to a more experiential shopping shopping experience. The new Beaster store carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s apparel.
Designed by Some Thoughts
Images © Some Thoughts
Photography: SFAP