Arc’teryx BDH Academy Store by STILL YOUNG

Project Credits & Specs:

• Designers: STILL YOUNG
• Photographs: SFAP
• Location: Jilin City, China
• Area: 224.2 m² (interior space) + 240.6 m² (outdoor space)
• Year: 2022

ARC’TERYX opened a new store in Beidahu Ski Resort, on a day that the resort embraced its first snowfall of the season. The new store’s design is based on the brand’s DNA. Breaking away from conventional commercial designs, the design team adopted warm-toned lighting, textures, and diverse spatial languages, focused on users’ natural experiences in indoor and outdoor spaces, and meanwhile emphasized functionality and a vibe that fits in with the user community, with a goal to create a “spiritual” destination for snow enthusiasts.

The veranda performs practical functions. It offers a buffer zone between the dry area and the outdoor wet snowfield, to enhance customer experience. A hanging wooden shelf is set beside the entrance, for the purpose of placing snowboards to dry off. The corridor also provides customers with shelter from piercing cold winds when waiting at the entrance.

The “glacier” installation is made of acrylic. The design team first carved a model with foam, and repeatedly adjusted it, and tested the light effect, to obtain a natural, authentic form. The last step was the pouring process, which needed to minimize bubbles and voids. The finished work was transported northwards from a factory in southern China to the site, where it fully integrates into the snowy setting.  

With the “glacier” installation as a boundary, the space features a smooth and clear circulation route. The area from the entrance to the foyer is a retail zone. Unlike most retail stores that seek maximized sales per square foot, the client insisted that no more than one-third of the site should be used for sales, hoping to leave more space for customers to experience the brand.

Acrylic partitions refract the light, creating a soft effect. The hanging racks refer to the unique design of the brand’s factory in Canada, with their industrial metallic texture balancing with the spatial tone. The customized cabinets are movable, making it possible to adjust the spatial pattern according to light conditions and create changeable scenes flexibly.

The mountain skills training zone set behind the retail area is infused with a rustic atmosphere created by dark gray stones. The irregular stone textures and the neat wooden lines contrast yet harmonize with each other. Mechanical pulleys sourced from cable cars and the hanging fireplace in the middle create an enclosed hub for communication. The design of the rental and storage zone centers on functionality, with full consideration of the needs and habits of skiers.

It continues the mountain-like visual effect in non-retail areas while incorporating diverse details to bring a smooth experience to the store. The locker cabinets are equipped with casters, to make it easier to move them around and add extra storage space. The washing machine and dryer are set up alongside fitting rooms and lockers to create home-like convenience for users, which is a thoughtful design beyond functional considerations.

The project description is provided by the designers.

About the designers:

STILL YOUNG

Xiangyang Art STILL YOUNG, founded in Shanghai, China in 2007, also has branches in Guangzhou, Wuhan, and other core cities, focusing on providing high-level space customization design and services for leading commercial brands with a forward-looking vision, adhering to the “integrity” and “Systematic” terminal thinking builds a full life cycle of business design. Facing long-term developmental consumption upgrades, the extremely subdivided team composition ensures comprehensive and efficient creative implementation and injects adaptable and long-lasting business empowerment into the brand space.