Le Templer: A Subversive and Artistic Boutique Shop

Enhancing the Aesthetic and Cultural Values of Fashion

Aak, the mastermind behind Le Templer, sought to create a spatial form that would express the dialogue between fashion and the state of art. The designers challenged the stability of space, creating a series of overturning, fracture, collapse, and instability. Through the means of destruction, they aimed to find a new form by decomposing and reorganizing spatial elements. Like an explosion experiment, the final dust settled, and stability was restored. The form was transformed through disintegration, and the work at the temple of fashion began.

What sets Le Templer apart is its combination of the meanings of "Temper" and "Temple." This expansive department store covers over 2000 square meters, serving as a meeting point for fashion, art, and design. Aak's vision was not to create a boutique filled with extravagant decorations, but rather a three-dimensional magazine that visitors can enter and experience. It is a place where fashion comes to life.

The construction technology used for Le Templer is similar to that of general interior decoration projects. However, the designers approached it as producing artwork. Each display prop has a unique character and conveys different meanings in each area. The attention to detail and craftsmanship elevate the space into a work of art.

Le Templer is not your traditional fashion boutique. It offers a diverse range of online and offline services, acting as a platform that combines art, fashion, and consumer information. Through the Radio Frequency Identification system, the store records and analyzes consumers' purchase preferences, providing the latest fashion information online at any time. Additionally, Le Templer regularly organizes art events, further enriching the experience for visitors.

This extraordinary project is located in Shanghai and was officially started in July 2019, completed in December 2019. Despite its vast size, the construction time lasted only 1.5 months, a testament to the efficiency and dedication of the design team.

The design goal of Le Templer was to enhance the aesthetic, cultural, artistic, and educational values that fashion shops should embody. Aak aimed to create a space that could quickly adapt to market demands, providing a dynamic and ever-changing experience for visitors. This experiment proved successful, as Le Templer continues to captivate and inspire.

Challenging the force of gravity, Le Templer was born from the paradoxical idea of collapsing a new place before even seeing it finished. The designers elaborated on fragments, cracks, and structures, creating an upside-down aesthetic. Walls and ceilings are "blocked" just before the final collapse, symbolizing regeneration and rebirth. The environments transition from one state to another, like a "gradient" from a strong to a softer shock wave effect.

Le Templer's spatial arrangement emphasizes flexibility, allowing the owner to host art events at any time. The display props, designed with a sculptural sense, elevate the artistic performance of merchandise display, turning each prop into a work of art. The space also integrates the concept of movie scenes, creating a three-dimensional sculpture where props and commodities coexist harmoniously.

Le Templer's exceptional design has been recognized with the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category in 2021. This prestigious award celebrates designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contributing to quality of life improvements. Le Templer is a testament to the power of art, design, and technology in creating a better world.

Le Templer is a testament to the power of art, design, and technology in creating a better world. With its subversive and artistic approach, this boutique shop pushes the boundaries of fashion and creates an immersive experience for visitors. It is a place where fashion meets art, and where creativity knows no limits.