London-based architecture and design firm Sybarite has completed the design of the newest outpost in the portfolio of luxury department store SKP in Xi’an, China. The massive new property totals 20 stories and spans 2.7 million square feet.
In addition to retail spaces that showcase products from more than 1,000 upscale brands, the store is outfitted with multi-story event spaces, boutique cinemas, dining venues, and an airy garden terrace. SKP Xi’an expands upon SKP Beijing, enhancing its social areas with five times the space. Amenities include a wine bar, restaurant, art gallery, bookstore, and non-fashion boutiques. The overall design reflects the influence of Moorish architecture as well as the vernacular of the Alhambra Palace in Spain. Clad with a honeycombed skin of brushed bronzed bronze, the store features a curved motif, which is a signature of the SKP brand.
“We always want visitors to know exactly where they are without having to explicitly remind them,” says Torquil McIntosh, cofounder of Sybarite, “so we created the curve as part of the brand identity and made it a recurring motif throughout our design. From the lift buttons to the concessions, via the vents built into the pavements outside the building, we made the curve a subliminal branding cue, which artfully reminds visitors that they are experiencing SKP.”
