Project
Retail
Cultural
Restaurants and Bar
Cafe and Bakery
Other
Status: built, 2023
Area: 97 sqm
Client: LLD
Location: An Shan
Photography: Topia Vision
Anshan, traditionally known for its steel production, is covered by an air of heavy industry. The design shows certain characteristics of the area with a light gray tone. The space pays respect to a certain classicism with steel and concrete, elevating tasty delicacies to the height of art, a metropolitan for tastebuds. Every bite of sweetness blossoms in elegance.
We kept the wall and shed frame from the mall. In addition, we set in an installation of a giant 'round theater'.
The stone floor rising and intertwining at different heights constructs the installation and tabletops. The traditional order and modern installation combined bestow the store a sense of stage, elegance and artistry. At the same time, the store stands out in the surrounding commercial design of the mall, presenting as a surprise, heightening the quality of the space in stark contrast.
The 'audience', customers, would sit around the theater, facing towards the center. A showcase of the delicious desserts will be at the heart of the circle, becoming a ceremonious center for attention and sight. The design allows people to pause or flow through it, creating opportunities to interact and an experience for emersion.
Founded by Kaiwen Zhao, Baicai is shaped by his interdisciplinary background in design and architecture. Zhao studied Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. He currently teaches in the Department of Industrial Design at RISD, and has previously taught at the University of Colorado Denver, lectured at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and served as a guest critic at Syracuse University.
Baicai approaches space beyond the conventional boundaries of interior design, bringing together architectural and product design thinking to address spatial questions. Through different scales of intervention, we explore the relationships between space, objects, and human behavior.
New York:
540 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY, 11201
Shenyang:
A07International Software Park, Shenyang, China
baicaidesignoffice@gmail.com
2026
Paris Design Awards Winner
2026
MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner
2026
Dezeen China Rising Firm of the Year
2025
POSITION Award China Best 100 Young Architect
2024
Guangzhou Design Week 40 Under 40
2024
AD China 100 YOUNG
2022-2024
Architizer Best Young Interior Design Firm Special Mention
2024
Forbes China 30 Under 30
2023
FRAME Small Residential of the year Shortlisted
2023
FRAME Award Best Emerging Designer Nominee
2023
APIDA Design Award Excellence Award
2023
FRAME Pop-up Store of the Year
2022
FRAME Window Display of the Year Shortlisted
2022
WYDF TOP 100 Designer
2022
Dezeen Award Shortlisted
2022
Architecture Masterprize Best of The Bests
2022
AD China 100 YOUNG
2020-2022
Architecture Masterprize Honorable Mention
2022
KUKAN Design Award Shortlisted
2022
DNA Award Winner in Workplace Design
2022
DNA Award Honorable Mention in Workplace Design
2022
DNA Award Honorable Mention in Showroom Design
2022
K-Design Award Winner
2022
Novum Design Award Gold Award
2022
Novum Design Award Silver Award
2022
IDA Design Award Honorable Mention
2022
FRAME Best of the Month
2022 April
Design for Asia Award Bronx Award
2021
Design for Asia Award Excellence Award
2021
IDEA Design Award Finalist
2021
Golden Pin Design Award Winner
2021
Golden Pin Design Award Honorable Mention
2022
Baicai Design’s work has received international media coverage across architecture, design, fashion, and culture. The studio has been featured in publications including Gestalten, INTERIORS, AD China, FRAME, Interior Design China, My Home, and id+c, alongside leading global platforms such as Dezeen, Leibal, Architizer, Divisare, Vogue, ELLE China, Yatzer, Cosmopolitan, gooood, Archilovers, Designverse, and Archello.