Recreating a natural atmosphere of mountains and wilderness where everyone can enjoy nature’s beauty and find a complete balance from spending time there is one of the aims that the premium Canadian outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx opened this 885-sq.-meter store in Beijing’s iconic Sanlitun business district area.
The flagship designed by Still Young wants to convey some key elements of the company from Vancouver by recreating a similar cultural of the brand’s origins, finding inspiration from local artists’ reimagining of “trees”. This re-creation became the primary muse for the design, which seamlessly weaves the urban outdoor cultural artwork into the store.
Situated on an L-shaped site, the store features a facade crafted from gray rocks embedded with glass. Employing bold design techniques, this composition not only creates a striking visual effect but also demonstrates the brand’s distinctive identity.anti.
Its design captures the essence of a natural mountain.
A luminous installation in the shape of the brand’s skeleton logo is placed on the rugged surface, forming a unique brand atmosphere in the external environment to invite customers into a setting that encapsulates the spirit of Vancouver’s mountains and forests.
At the entrance, a grilled lightweight acrylic canopy is set up with an extended lounge area reaching out towards the street to engage with consumers.
The space also strives to foster a harmonious connection between humanity and nature and interpret the spirit of the outdoors through innovative artistic expression. Positioned in an elevated corner of the store, a colossal dead tree’s root extends vertically along a transparent glass facade, seamlessly blending into the store’s setting.
The project emphasizes the sustainability of materials.
On a suspended staircase platform, the design team introduced a 2-meter-high pine cone art installation crafted from rust boards recycled from factory waste. This installation harmonizes with the upward-reaching large tree root, cultivating a profound artistic ambiance.
In this two-story store, the first floor is designed as a dedicated space for the professional rock climbing and hiking series – an area suited for mountain and forest-themed scenarios.
The second floor is curated as an urban life product area for the 24 Collection, the Veilance Series, and in-store sharing sessions on mountain skills. Throughout the entire space, elements of rocks, trees and wood grain are incorporated into the mountainous backdrop to express the brand’s DNA.
The overall space emphasizes the harmonious blend of an outdoor feeling and a sense of technology. Display installations are crafted with acrylic and metal materials and mirror the forms of production line equipment.
Within the 24 Collection product display area, they adopt wooden frame structures. Meanwhile, an irregular mountain-shaped display platform creates an outdoor vibe through details on its base. A cavern-shaped installation takes center stage in the area for sharing sessions on the second floor.
Low tables made of timber piles, fabric sofas, and decorative floor stoves collectively craft a cozy setting infused with a woodland feel. This environment allows consumers to enjoy coffee while listening to stories shared by rock climbing experts, thereby bringing consumers closer to the brand’s identity and product’s strength.
Location Beijing, China
Area 885 sqm
Design firm STILL YOUNG
Design team Eric. Ch, Dawn Du, Dada Zhao
Photos courtesy Yuuuun Studio
