To celebrate its 165th anniversary, Lane Crawford commissioned People’s Architecture Office (PAO) to realize a series of installations that propose and demonstrate how ‘tubular living’ can be adapted for the future. Inspired by the hidden ventilation shafts and mechanical structures that support the comforts of modern life, PAO turns buildings ‘inside out’, exposing to view the large metal ducts found in the interior of buildings.
In this imagined tubular living, horizontal spaces are suspended in the air, branching off from vertical towers. The standardized parts are factory-made and assembled on site. Their raw industrial surfaces contrast with the pristine interior of the upscale retail store. Metallic tubes house staircases, become rooms and tunnels with views from above, oversized speakers, and tubular knots that serve as furniture.
Tubular Living was installed in Lane Crawford stores in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The installations featured furniture and lighting pieces designed by People’s Industrial Design Office.
all images courtesy of People’s Architecture Office (PAO)