In February 2025, British skate brand Palace brought a slice of its culture to Seoul, creating an abstracted version of the concrete undercroft of London’s Southbank Centre inside its first Asian store. Long a haven for skaters, including Palace co-founders Lev Tanju and Gareth Skewis, the brutalist landmark was where the brand was first conceived in 2009. ‘Palace wouldn’t exist without Southbank,’ Tanju told us at the time.
A new store in Shanghai, China, the brand’s latest expansion into the continent, takes a slightly different approach, interpreting the traditional architecture of the region – namely, the Shanghai garden – through Palace’s irreverent, contemporary lens. The store is part of the Zhangyuan complex in the city’s Jing'an District, a series of shikumen buildings from the late 19th century – originally known as ‘Zhang’s Weichun Garden’ after its owner Zhang Shuhe – whereby the original façades and narrow alleyways have been retained (several luxury stores occupy the complex, including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Celine).
Inside Palace’s new Shanghai store
In keeping with the location, the exterior retains the building’s original façade, though distinctive signage sees the brand’s signature tri-ferg logo – designed by Fergus Purcell and inspired by the ‘impossible’ Penrose Triangle by Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd – angled downwards from the roof, as if hovering over the street. Meanwhile, a playful sculpture of a bulldog, like that inside the Seoul store, appears in a doorway, and a covered pond – reminiscent of those in traditional Shanghai gardens – greets visitors at the entranceway (the Palace cherub and penjing tree feature as part of this ‘terrace’).
‘I really love the outside water features, and of course, I’m a big fan of the bulldog,’ says Skewis, who has been travelling to China for the last 20 years. ‘Now felt like the right time [to open the store] from a cultural point of view, looking at the skate scene and where modern youth culture is at in China.’ As for why Palace chose Shanghai, it was the first place Palace visited in the country. ‘We have a long history with the skate scene here. It’s been amazing to see how that scene has evolved over the last few years.’
Inside, a series of LED columns line the entrance to the store’s interior, which is composed largely of stone tiles and limestone – materials traditional to the region – while bolder accents of gold and red reflect traditional Chinese rituals. The idea of a garden runs throughout the space: at the centre is a structure inspired by the pavilion, which began as military watchtowers but were soon repurposed in private gardens of places of leisure, whereby you could immerse yourself in nature. The Zhangyuan location, says Skewis, was chosen for this interplay of tradition and modernity. ‘Zhangyuan is so central and has a historical point of view too, but it also feels somehow very modern Shanghai to me,’ says Skewis.
To celebrate the opening, a series of no-doubt sellout garments and objects will be available exclusively in the Shanghai store. These include a biker jacket, hoodies, T-shirts and more, featuring a new ‘Shang-Hi’ motif and a new rabbit mascot – inspired by the Chinese zodiac – while other graphics take inspiration from Shanghai landmarks, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, which lends to the city’s unique skyline.
Palace Shanghai, Unit W1-1A, Zhangyuan, 280 Maoming North Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, Chin
