Wutongstudio has designed a 29-square-meter pop-up hair salon in a recently renovated shopping mall in Nanjing, China. Three different types of stores, including a hair salon, a bookstore, and an educational agency, converge along a passageway in it. Because of the transformation and renovation of the shopping mall, a 29 m2 space was left in front of the hair salon. The owner of the hair salon wanted to “do something interesting” on this triangular space, with a view to enhancing its brand value as well as providing a resting and leisure space and attracting customers of the shopping mall.
“The hair salon beside the site is a box enclosed by gradient glass,” explains Wutongstudio. “During analyzing consumers’ circulation routes, we found a close interaction between the hair salon and customers of the educational agency as well as the bookstore adjacent to it.”
The designers made the best use of the limited space based on site conditions, hoping to make it “all-inclusive”.
The site features a triangular shape, with one side facing the atrium of the shopping mall. The design team utilized translucent polycarbonate hollow sheets, which ensures the privacy of the space while bringing in natural light from the atrium. In addition, the designers left space for a window, which enables interaction between the inside and outside and enhances the transparency of the interior space. Light penetrates polycarbonate sheets and fills the space, hence producing a soft and peaceful ambiance and at the same time making the hair appear to be shinier.
Open yet enclosed, this space is a unique existence, allowing consumers to enjoy scalp care in a comfortable and relaxing manner.
The brand image created by the design team is consistent with its unique socializing content. The efficient utilization of recyclable materials, the principles of environmental protection and energy-saving, the dimensional spatial relationships, as well as the artistic ambiance brought out by the mix and match of furnishings, all make the space meaningful and distinctive.