June 21, 2018
A new 2.7 million-sq.-ft. luxury department store called SKP has opened in Xi’an, China. London-based architecture and design firm Sybarite designed this newest outpost, which spans 20 stories. SKP Xi’an expands upon the model of its predecessor, SKP Beijing, enhancing its social areas with five times the space.
In addition to retail spaces, the store is outfitted with multi-story event spaces, boutique cinemas, dining venues and an airy garden terrace. Under the banner of Rendez-Vous, amenities such as a wine bar, restaurant, art gallery, bookstore and non-fashion boutiques are featured on-site as well. Clad with a honeycombed skin of brushed bronzed bronze, the store is also anchored with a curved motif—a signature of the SKP brand.
“We always want visitors to know exactly where they are without having to explicitly remind them,” says Torquil McIntosh, co-founder of Sybarite. “So we created the curve as part of the brand identity and made it a recurring motif throughout our design. From the lift buttons to the concessions, via the vents built into the pavements outside the building, we made the curve a subliminal branding cue, which artfully reminds visitors that they are experiencing SKP.”