CONNAIS TOI Office & Showroom

CONNAIS TOI is located in Shanghai's new landmark “The Existing Park", which was transformed from an old factory into a creative park that combines office and retail. Founded in 2017, the CONNAIS TOI boutique store focuses on exploring the boundaries of aesthetics. The founder believes the term fashion should be all-encompassing, harmoniously complementing one another without interfering. The space is CONNAIS TOI’s office combined with the reservation showroom. This L-shaped site has its pros and cons - full-height windows along two external façades and surrounded by lush greenery, yet a low ceiling height and two structural columns sitting in the center. In the early stages of design, the client wishes to have no additional walls built in the space and keep it as open as possible.

To redesign the mundane single loop circulation into something lively and rhythmic; to retain sufficient natural light while achieving practical and private office function simultaneously, and to translate the brand’s beliefs into this physical space, are the challenges we must meet. Arriving at CONNAIS TOI on the second floor through the public area, we transform the existing transparent glass into a mysterious display window to arouse people’s curiosity before entering. Besides, in order to ensure the privacy of the office area, the office entrance is placed adjacent to the display window and the office area is completely hidden behind it. The showroom is relatively open to the public, so we leave the entrance along a public corridor and the beautiful scenery outside. We take the two existing structural columns in the center of the site as the starting point, design three rows of array columns according to the site’s nature, and camouflage the two existing columns within them. These columns naturally demarcate the space into two – the office on the west and the showroom on the east. Despite this, the areas remain fluid and seamlessly integrate with each other. 

In the showroom, the spacing between each column is precisely controlled and naturally converted into product display. With this approach, the original unobstructed window view is redefined by these columns. This allows natural light and outdoor scenery to blend seamlessly, blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors. Rows of array columns surround people as they enter the showroom, at the same time, the dance of light and shadow within the columns flows around you. Walking amongst, people can wander freely and explore the space at their own pace. Until now, an “urban colonnades forest” has risen from the ground.

At this moment, we unconsciously recall a verse in Kahlil Gibran's《The Prophet》： “And stand together yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.” From the office entrance, an “L" shaped green volume and outdoor greenery intertwine with each other, and the storage shelves and packaging counter are cleverly integrated into the design. The metaphor echoes what CONNAIS TOI embraces – all-encompassing, harmoniously complementing one another without interfering. Thus, the space must be inclusive, allowing the individual to grow into a more prosperous self.

Offhand Practice