Atelier Tao+c designs monochrome multi-brand boutique in Zhengzhou
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Simplicity reigns supreme at JHW. A single colour – grey – cloaks the space and two materials – washed granolithic plaster and brushed stainless steel – dominate at this new multi-brand boutique in the city of Zhengzhou in central China.
A pioneering concept for Henan province’s capital city, JHW exclusively stocks emerging Chinese designers, featuring the likes of Feng Chen Wang and Unawares, with a focus on men’s streetwear alongside a scattering of accessories and womenswear. The 405 sq m, two-storey store was designed by Shanghai-based Atelier tao+c, a small studio established in 2016 by architects Chunyan Cai and Liu Tao.
Located in a nondescript shopping mall, a glass box used for rotating window displays juts out of JHW’s storefront. Inside, pops of colour from the carefully curated selection of designer garments on stainless steel racks contrast against the austere all-grey interior. ‘We intended to give a very sterile background for the brands,' says Cai. Matt grey floors and walls of washed granolithic plaster are both complemented by and juxtaposed against perforated sheets of shiny stainless steel on the windows which project evocative shadows into the space.
JHW store designed by Atelier tao+c in Zhangzhou, China.
Now known as ‘Shanghai plaster' throughout Southeast Asia, granolithic cement was favoured in 1920s Shanghai for the city’s iconic Art Deco façades, later spreading to Hong Kong and Malaysia. Through this exposed aggregate finish, the architects sought to evoke memories of one of China’s most dynamic, creative eras and a sense of the local. ‘It was popular in the 20s but then disappeared. In the 60s and 70s, it regained popularity not in Shanghai but in small towns like where we grew up – in schools, factories and lots of institutional buildings,' recalls Cai. ‘When we think of our childhood, of school – it’s that material.'
Three steps create a sunken section in front of the reception desk, an area that can be utilised for designer talks and special events. Above, a portion of the second floor has been removed to create a soaring double-height space, with two intersecting concrete beams left raw and intact to form a cross.
Stern stainless steel rods with LED lighting, designed by Tao and Cai, connects the two storeys, running along the ceiling of the ground floor before shooting up vertically through the opening and into the second floor. The upper level mimics the first: a glass box projects out across the opening, displays made of intersecting 5mm-thick stainless steel plates showcase the apparel on Shanghai plaster-finished floors and perforated metal sheets filter the sunlight, casting surprising, playful shadows into the space – an equally surprising find in Zhengzhou.
Information
For more information, visit the Atelier tao+c website (opens in new tab)
Address
B107, Longhu Li
67 Longhu Zhong Huan Road
Zhengzhou, China
VIEW GOOGLE MAPS (opens in new tab)
-
Augustinus Bader opens its first spa and bricks-and-mortar store, in London
Augustinus Bader, the cult beauty line that blends stem-cell science and anti-aging skincare, opens its first physical space in London
By Mary Cleary • Published
-
Rafael Prieto’s new low stools are a ‘conversation’ with his New York design community
Rafael Prieto’s new collection of stools is made from salvaged materials
By Tilly Macalister-Smith • Published
-
Compact Leica Cine 1 laser TV projector brings the brand into a new realm
The Leica Cine 1 is a sleek aluminium laser TV projector that brings a high-end lens and superlative sound to home cinema
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
AlphaTauri’s Salzburg HQ is a science fiction fantasy
Browse in-store, buy online: the future-focused mentality of AlphaTauri
By Simon Mills • Last updated
-
Manu Atelier's first boutique nods to Le Corbusier in Istanbul
The cult Istanbul-based label introduces bold, sculptural expressionism into this first bricks and mortar store
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki flagship evokes a rippling pillar of water
Japanese architect Jun Aoki creates a water-like facade for Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki Tokyo flagship
By Danielle Demetriou • Last updated
-
Alternative retail websites for fashionable festive gifting
Look to luxury etailers Rêve En Vert, APOC Store and Doda the Store, Aspect and Zero-Living for feel-good gifting options that support emerging creatives and artists, and have a sustainability-focused mindset
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Aspesi’s upcycled shirt is a winter wardrobe staple
The Italian brand's Shirt-Jacket 13 silhouette is well padded with eco-credentials
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
David Chipperfield designs Furla's new flagship in Milan's historic Piazza Duomo
Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti and Achille Castiglione inspire the brand's newest Milan boutique
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Morocco-based Marrakshi Life combines traditional techniques with a New York aesthetic
Clothing brand Marrakshi Life champions a unisex, hand-tailored line
By Grace Cook • Last updated
-
Bottega Veneta constructs ‘invisible' pop-up in Shanghai
Conceived by creative director Daniel Lee, the three metre-high, 100 sq m mirrored cuboid continues Bottega Veneta’s subversive denouncement of self-promotion
By Daven Wu • Last updated