Cosmetea Pop Up: A Fusion of Beauty and Tea

Designers Lina Chen and Yiting Ma Create a Unique Retail Experience

The Cosmetea Pop Up shop, located in Shanghai, China, is a testament to the creative prowess of designers Lina Chen and Yiting Ma. The project, completed at the end of 2019, transformed a former steamed dumpling shop into a retail and exhibition pop-up shop for Cosmetea, a tea cosmetics brand. The brand's innovative approach combines tea materials with its "Tea Beauty Science", conveying modern fashion aesthetics derived from Oriental naturalism.

The design of the shop is a unique blend of nature and artificial elements. The designers created immersive spatial scenes and experiences within the 9m2 area, exploring the relationship between nature and the artificial realm. The entire tunnel is clad in mirrored stainless steel and highlighted by LED strip lights, creating a "wormhole" across time and space, where customers can escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

One of the key features of the design is the dramatic opening on the facade, inspired by the brand's logo, which outlines a tea pitcher. The design team extended this opening into the tunnel space, creating an infinite realm within the limited site area. The wall cabinet, finished with red paint, serves display and storage functions and echoes the brand's visual identity.

The project was not without its challenges. The designers needed to subvert the conventional definition of beauty and innovatively integrate tea with cosmetics. However, their creative approach and the use of modern design techniques allowed them to overcome these challenges and create a unique retail space that caters to the lifestyles of contemporary urban people and conveys the genes and values of the brand.

The Cosmetea Pop Up shop has been recognized for its innovative design, winning the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.