Linehouse installs bespoke metal shelving system at Côte&Ciel boutique in Hong Kong

Shanghai studio Linehouse has combined metal rods and black lava stone to create display rails within French fashion brand Côte&Ciel’s first Hong Kong store (+ slideshow).

Set inside a double-height space in the Sheung Wan area of Hong Kong, the store has a facade that features rows of vertically-arranged steel poles stretching across both levels.

“The two spaces were filled with a vertical field of metal poles which serve as a perpendicular connection between the elements,” said the architects. “They have a horizontal and vertical gradient from rough to polished finish.”

“Vertically, a datum of polished stainless steel defines the high level of the poles, and a rough finish defines the lower level,” they continued.

The team aimed to reflect the brand’s principles through their design for the store.

“Côte&Ciel is inspired by the complementary clash between coast (côte) and sky (ciel),” said Linehouse. “Linehouse’s interpretation visualises the collision of these two elements in various ways: nature versus urbanity, inside versus outside, and reflective versus matte.”

Throughout the retail space, clothing is displayed on metal installations anchored to the floor by grey basalt stone – the same material South Korean designer Jeonghwa Seo used to create a collection of benches. The stone’s textured surface has been revealed using a masonry tool, with a technique known as bush hammering.

Although most materials throughout the store are grey and silver-toned, a selection of other finishes are used to create varying levels of texture.

Small platforms protruding from the metal-frame display systems are constructed from black lava stone, while circular and square-shaped mirrors are fixed onto the poles.

Perforated stainless steel sheets provide another texture to the rails, and a backdrop against the wall.

The cashier desk is located towards the rear of the store and is clad in a grey stone slabs. It also features stainless-steel inserts and a glazed display section.

The space is illuminated by a bright tube lights and spotlights which were custom-made to correspond with the overall architecture of the shop.

The Shanghai studio was founded in 2013 by Briar Hickling and Alex Mok, and has since overhauled a fishmongers using panels of metal net and created a patisserie lined with brass caging.

Photography is by Hoshing Mok

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