Beijing Winter Olympics Flagship Store: A Triumph of Design

Designer Xiaolu Zhang's Award-Winning Commercial Space Design

The Beijing Winter Olympics Flagship Store, designed by Xiaolu Zhang, is a testament to the power of design in creating meaningful spaces. The design was inspired by the theme of the Games: a joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow, uniting the passion of hundreds of millions for winter sports. The installation art within the store is a nod to Mao Zedong's poem, Snow to the tune of Qin Yuan Chun, evoking images of a hundred leagues locked in ice and a thousand leagues of whirling snow. Zhang's design highlights the magnificence of ice and snow with layers of concave and convex texture, creating a strong visual impact.

This project stands out as the first global flagship store of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Serving as both a merchandise retailer and a place for spreading knowledge of the Winter Olympics, media releases, and interactive communication, the store is an important promotional channel. Dynamic and rhythmic installation art is strategically placed at the entrance of the store to increase visual recognition and enhance the sense of identification with the Olympic spirit.

Realization of this design was achieved through the use of white frosted acrylic material, cut into 3cm thick slices whose corners are polished. The back of the acrylic material is embedded with four color changing lights, creating an immersive experience. The 800 square meter space is divided into two major functional areas, one of which is the media release area for activities such as the release of new products of the Winter Olympics.

Visitors to the flagship store can feel the strong atmosphere of the Winter Olympics while shopping. The implantation of the art installations creates a visual impact full of ice and snow. Through the setting of the lighting effect, part of the light falls on visitors and the light and shadow changes with walking, realizing an immersive experience. The slope in the middle of the staggered staircase is designed as a miniature of the competition areas covered with ice and snow, and the passage up and down deepens the elements of the Winter Olympics.

The project started in Beijing in October 2020 and was completed on February 4, 2021 at Wangfujing Street, Beijing as a way to welcome the first anniversary of the countdown to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. This Design was awarded Silver in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2021. Silver A' Design Award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation.

This design masterpiece by Xiaolu Zhang is a testament to the power of design in creating spaces that not only serve a commercial purpose but also inspire and engage. The Beijing Winter Olympics Flagship Store is a beacon of design excellence, embodying the spirit of the Winter Olympics and serving as a powerful link between the Games and the general public.