Reviving Childhood Joys: Hi Pop Tea Concept Store

Designers Xiejin Chen & Wei Wen Create a Nostalgic Retail Space

The Hi Pop Tea Concept Store, located in Foshan, Guangdong, China, is a fashionable brand drink store targeting youthful customers. The designers' primary goal was to create a fashion-forward store that would rejuvenate the old street it resides on. The design concept was inspired by the exhilarating sensation experienced when drinking carbonated soft drinks through a tube in childhood. This unique idea has been embodied in the store's design, which is primarily composed of two interconnected blocks - a yellow box and a black box.

The ceiling of the store is adorned with tube elements that extend from the entrance to the deepest part of the interior space, connecting the yellow and black boxes. This design feature is reminiscent of the burst of taste and texture experienced when drinking soft drinks. The floor and walls are decorated with encaustic tiles featuring sketches, evoking memories of doodling circles on paper during school days. The combination of these elements creates a space that encourages customers to recall their past, keeping their spirits high and subtly increasing their eating speed.

Creating a project with both commercial and communicative values was a significant challenge for the designers. The designers had to consider the brand's status and the fact that most people prefer shopping in malls, where the footfall and consumption levels are incomparable to those in old urban districts. Despite these challenges, the designers successfully created an attractive project that has increased the store's social awareness in the long term.

The Hi Pop Tea Concept Store is a 50m² space that was designed in March 2016 and completed in June 2016. The design process involved close communication with the client and a thorough investigation of the site. The designers sought and selected elements that would create an interesting design, ultimately choosing "childhood happiness" as the starting point. This design element aligns with the brand's image and resonates with the local people's memories.

The Hi Pop Tea Concept Store's design is a testament to the designers' creativity and technical expertise. It showcases a remarkable level of excellence and introduces positive feelings, amazement, and wonder. The store's design has been recognized with a Silver A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2017, a prestigious accolade awarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs.