Urban Prisms

In June 2016, Lukstudio was commissioned by an eyewear company to design their pop-up pavilion in just under one month. The site, located in Shanghai, China, is on a busy plaza between Jiu Guang; an upmarket department store, and Jing’an Temple; an historic tourist attraction. The design challenges the usual typology of pop-up retail by creating an urban sculpture that plays with light and colour.

‘Urban Prisms’ is arranged to direct pedestrian flow and foster an open dialogue between the pavilion and the plaza. The structure is made from a grid of white scaffolding, which not only marks the extent of the area, but also supports a flat canopy to alleviate visitors from the extreme heat and rain in July. In contrast to the linear grid, the roof is punctured by three white prisms made from translucent polycarbonate panels. At nighttime, the entire pavilion glows like pieces of quartz.

Based on the eyewear brand’s colorful ‘Injection’ series, Lukstudio explored different ways to insert colour into the space. In the ‘experience chamber’, the triangulated interior is painted by filtered white light through a rotating dichroic umbrella at the top, and multiple dichroic cubes at the bottom. A subtle colour transition occurs within the tall, multi-faceted chamber, alongside shadows created by visitors’ movements.

The ‘retail chamber’ features colourful sunglasses, as well as wall-mounted triangles of recycled lenses. Together they give visitors an on-going interplay between the products and their surroundings. The middle chamber offers a moment of pause for the public; a prismatic skylight is lined with neon-coloured acrylic and casts a warm glow to those resting on the white sloping bench below. Pursuing a new ‘pop-up’ store typology in Shanghai, Lukstudio’s interactive pavilion offers more than just a retail experience. ‘Urban Prisms’ demonstrates how a commercial design can benefit from urban flow and contribute to a better public space.

Mujosh

Lukstudio
Christina Luk, Yiye Lin, Alba Beroiz Blazquez, Ray Ou, Leo Wang, Celia Mahon-Heap, Cai Jin Hong, Marcello Chiado Rana

Lighting Consultant: Studio Illumine
3D visualization: Milos Zivkovic
General Contractor: Centroid Construction
Video: Vision Rouge Shanghai

Special thanks to Marta Calamai.