W Plus — Baicai Design

Project

Retail
Cultural
Restaurants and Bar
Cafe and Bakery
Other

W Plus

W-PLUS, a buyer store based in Beijing, has commissioned Baicai to design its new store in Sanlitun. The goal is to create a space that embodies the brand's spirit while offering an enhanced experiential atmosphere.

Project Info:

Status: built, 2024
Area: 415 sqm
Client: W Plus
Location: BeiJing
Photography: Topia Vision

The project is located on the first floor of a two-story concrete and red brick building, covering nearly 500 square meters. The space features a column grid structure. Through thoughtful layout design, we aim to minimize the visual impact of excessive columns and create an open, experiential commercial environment.

The design uses a series of curved walls to divide the space into open and private areas. Activity zones, restrooms, fitting rooms, storage, office, and reception areas are all placed behind the curved walls, leaving a large open area for operations. Purple, as the brand's primary color, is subtly integrated throughout the space. The rest of the design employs neutral colors and materials to ensure spatial cohesion. Using an installation-style approach, we create visual tension and a sense of ritual, enhancing the experiential quality of the space.

In the open area, we integrate columns with functional elements to minimize their visual presence. Around the columns, we create bars, display shelves, and exhibition cabinets, forming a cohesive spatial composition.

Within the store, we use decorations to create depth and visual layering, achieving a dynamic spatial experience where each step reveals a new scene.

Through the gaps in the curved walls, glimpses of the smaller functional areas are revealed. We aim to use this sense of "spatial gaps" to balance concealment and curiosity, creating a dynamic and engaging spatial experience.

Comfort is at the core of the experience. The integration of furnishings, soft decor, and meticulous attention to material details ultimately creates a rich and layered experiential space.

About

Baicai Design is a multidisciplinary design practice based in New York and Shenyang, working across architecture, interiors, exhibitions, and spatial design. Its practice spans different geographies, scales, and cultural contexts.

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.

Awards

FRAME Wellness Space of the year Shortlisted
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

Vestibulum Inceptos Gravida, Ornare Review,
by Tincidunt Nisl
2024

Ullamcorper Faucibus (Congue) Euismod, by Ligula Parturient, Bibendum Review Porta Libero
2023

Dictumst Tristique, Facilisis Magazine, Edition Two, Porta Libero
2021

Auctor Adipiscing Art Magazine, Porta Libero
2020

Sollicitudin Ornare Magazine,
Porta Libero
2020

Press