In addition to designing and manufacturing the next generation of electric vehicles, Shanghai-based brand NIO has forayed into fashion, personal technology, and other ventures—which now includes members’ lounges.
Expanding on NIO House—a series of members-only spaces for NIO owners—the brand recently launched a new concept at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai.
Designed by Kokaistudios, the project comprises two parts: A freestanding rectangular lounge area and an adjacent retail space, which houses the inaugural store for NIO’s sustainable fashion label Blue Sky Lab.
Kokaistudios’ design for the lounge begins with a reception zone featuring a self-service bar. A quiet lounge and semi-enclosed private chamber is located at the rear. Due to airport fire safety guidelines, the quiet lounges could not be completely enclosed, so the team created a series of screen-partitioned private nooks with individual recliners and personal tables that lead into a final chamber space. This final room feels private and provides a temporary sense of belonging for travelers on the move.
Catering to a new demographic of business travelers, the lounge is rendered in a sleek palette of refined metal and glass, accented with touches of bronze and leather. The lounge design links the area to its neighboring retail concept—the gleaming, futuristic Blue Sky Lab.
Clean white and silver materials ensure the products take centerstage in the retail space, while reflective mirrored glass overhead counteracts a lowered ceiling. Reused car components—like seatbelts that double as clothing racks—are also incorporated to add a thematic effect. The result is a space that expresses the minimalism of a research lab while retaining a sensory, human-centered guest experience.
The Blue Sky Lab retail concept adjacent to the NIO House lounge
The self-service bar at the NIO House lounge
Quiet pods at the rear of the lounge offer privacy
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