Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron has designed a monochrome flagship store for Swedish clothing brand Toteme in Beijing. The Scandinavian brand creates items in a minimalist style, and the design of the 150-square-meter boutique also conveys ascetic design codes.
The store’s walls are lined with white stone with a pleated relief, both inside and outside. The façade is decorated with a glowing neon sign, and a 15-meter stone bench runs along the building. “The restrained color palette reflects the core values of Toteme and at the same time is a subtle hint of Chinese culture and craftsmanship,” said studio partner Askan Mergenthaler.
The zigzag staircase with a lacquered steel finish became the dominant feature of the interior space. Inspired by traditional Chinese gongshi, the sculptural decorative stones found in Toteme stores around the world, the staircase disrupts the typical proportions of a standard store layout, creating a sense of scale despite the small footprint. The upper level features a screen showing silent films by 20th-century Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The crisp white finish of the staircase contrasts with the dark floors and high-gloss lacquered ceilings. Herzog & de Meuron crafted bespoke wooden tables and geometric white chairs, while cast glass was chosen for the jewellery display cases, a nod to the texture of ice and Toteme’s Scandinavian roots.