DEJI CULTURAL COMPLEX by THE TRIANGLE.JP.CO., LTD

Sky Design Awards 2022ShortlistedInterior DesignExhibition Design

May 16

Our lifestyle has changed dramatically over the past two years, with the end of the influence of Covid 19 being nowhere in sight. The online world became enriched, and real-world commerce demanded significant changes.

Diversified commercial spaces are no longer just for merchandise, meaning that people do not want just to buy things. They want to empathize with products, discover attractive services and experiences, and enjoy themselves.

DEJI PLAZA is a shopping mall in Nanjing, with the second-highest sales among single-building shopping malls in China. It consists of two buildings, Phase 1 and Phase 2, with a total area of 41,244㎡.More than 90% of the world’s luxury brands make up its tenants.

The request by DEJI PLAZA is for the entire building to integrate commerce and culture by having facilities such as an art museum, art gallery, stores, and a bookstore on the 7300m² top floor.

Deji cultural complex consists of six extensive facilities: a museum, an art museum, an art gallery, a bookstore, shops, and cafes. The design concept for the entire floor is to create the feeling of going for a walk outside in Nanjing while being indoors.

As a design premise, we try not to put in obvious walls where possible. At the entrances of the museum and art museum, a myriad of white bars hanging from the ceiling abstractly represents natural phenomena, such as rain, clouds, or sunlight. Seemingly random bars were placed with specific rules, pursuing the beauty of a fusion of natural and artificial decoration. Furthermore, the lights on the ceiling can be programmed to move. People can see the inside of the museums from the outside, but they cannot enter. Showing fun things happening inside is like showing a “movie trailer.” We used a water partition to create a feeling of expectation within the visitors. Although there are no obvious walls, you would get wet if you tried to pass through. This blurs the line between the common area and the museums. People can see into the museum from the outside, and some of the exhibition pieces can be seen through the water. People with various purposes can intersect in this space, which is different from the strict cultural facilities that existed before. It will be a new entertainment-type cultural facility where visitors can casually sop by.