HARMAY BARN

A sun that never sets beckons visitors from public concourse of Hefei’s most popular shopping destinations.

Atelier I-N-D-J has completed HARMAY Barn — 话梅谷仓 — for HARMAY at MixC Hefei, it stores, moves and sells multiband cosmetics as if they were grain: a working granary on the ground floor of a shopping mall, lit by a sun that sets on a loop and never goes down.

A sun beckons visitors from public concourse on MixC, visible at a distance through the glass façade draped with a backdrop wall of product, the ‘sun’ is a  simple trick of the, a semicircular disc of programmable light is reflected in a mirrored ceiling to complete the circle.  Reflected in that ceiling surface is also a backdrop of product, arrayed en-masse and doubled by the optics as if an offering to the sun god.  The array is deliberate in reference to arrays of photovoltaic energy harvesting solar panels.

This representation of the sun in our design cycles through a pseudo circadian rhythm shifting in hue as the day progressing, from the blue hour of dawn, to the white of mid day, to the deep oches of sunset… except this in this artificial environment its different – the shifting sunlight is stretched and compressed according to the clock of the shop, 10am to 10pm.

The sun sits atop the thematic hierarchy we envisioned, derived from the region – Anhui – As the grain capital of China and  a high-tech zone focused on photovoltaics industry, Hefei is dependent on the energy from the sun, and so in our little way we honor that reliance.

As a grain belt and producer – the theme continues, that of energy from the sun, growth of product, through to harvest and then storage. Harmay as a multi-brand cosmetics retailer is here represented as the ultimate cornucopia if delights, a smorgasbord of choice and abundance.

The Barn, the granary, the conveyor, the storage bins, sacks of grain.  The archetypes of agricultural  abundance are all channeled in this store.  Overhead is constand movement, as a rail loops around the stores periphery existing the principle façade entry beform looping back within, the rail is automated a travelator transporting sacks of grain or product in a scene befitting of a food processing plant.  The loop is just that, cycling back to the beginning after every lap. And endless parade of abundance.

The props and displays are arranged to encourage exploration, arrayed shelves penetrate deep into the store, whilst a looped band of display shelves lead visitors deeper beyond.

Details abound, be it thick wires emanating from the rear of the artificial sun, alluding to it being part of a manufactured landscape. To Storage crates and informal seating and planting on the exterior,  formed from water bowsers and farming trailers.  Playful commandeering of archetype to enrich the experience.