Yiwu, China’s first and only county-level city to serve as a national pilot for comprehensive reform, is a place where pioneering commerce meets profound cultural and natural heritage. Located in this unique Jiangnan town, Sunac Yiwu Binwangdao No.1 leverages Super Normal's sincere and imaginative design language to explore the sustainable potential of sales centers, historically regarded as temporary structures. By reimagining these spaces, the project reconstructs the infinite possibilities of sales environments in the context of a new era, transforming them into dynamic community hubs that truly bring people together.
1. Boundless Potential
Embracing Future Possibilities
Sales centers have traditionally been viewed as purpose-driven spaces with singular functions. In the early planning stages, this space was designated as a conventional entry lobby and community hub. However, the client aimed to break free from these limitations, introducing adaptability and reserving ample room for future community functions. Rather than merely envisioning the potential for future transformation, Super Normal proposed integrating long-term needs directly into the present design. By prioritizing community functionality without compromising initial sales purposes, the design avoids repetitive modifications in the future.
2. Resonance in Motion
From "Sales Center" to "Community Hub"
"We need a space for encounters—a shared area that accommodates families and fosters connections among people and between individuals and the city."
Modern residential setups often reinforce the isolation of family units, creating impenetrable silos between households and diminishing horizontal communication. By crafting a space on the path home that subtly incorporates sales functions within a communal courtyard, the design provides a setting for families to naturally converge and share their stories beyond private boundaries.
In the context of a post-pandemic world, where homes have become multi-functional yet isolating environments, the need for nearby spaces that support socializing, working, learning, and living has become evident. Beyond its role as a sales center, this project explores its potential as an interactive neighborhood hub. By reconnecting residents with the warmth of offline living, the space achieves both commercial value and openness, creating a welcoming fusion for co-living, co-creation, and shared experiences with the community.
3. The Entry Lobby
Under One Roof
Expansive glass and aluminum form a transparent, lightweight façade, with vertical lines articulating a minimalist spatial language. At night, the building takes on a semi-transparent quality. A straightforward and intuitive flow begins at the lobby, extending symmetrically to two main spaces on either side, offering multifunctionality such as family-friendly activities, wellness, learning, and shared reading. Varied floor elevations in different zones enhance the sense of exploration.
The space's palette combines champagne gold and warm wood tones, accented by ivory-white latex ceilings and Oreo-gray stone, crafting a visual experience of warmth and stability. Large floor-to-ceiling windows introduce abundant natural light, blending interior and exterior environments. This interplay of real and imagined boundaries furthers the concept of limitless possibilities.
4. Seed Shell Park
A Gift for Children
As Vito Acconci once said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." With this in mind, the design aims to create a lively and inviting space for children of all ages, enabling them to engage with peers amidst a setting traditionally reserved for adult-oriented sales activities.
The Seed Shell Space functions as an integrated aesthetic education area for children, consisting of a picture book zone and a plant specimen learning zone. The picture book area forgoes garish decorations, favoring warm, light wood tones. Rounded-edge furniture ensures safety for active children, while colorful toys and books add vibrant accents, balancing playfulness with educational value.
The plant specimen area features expansive glass windows, inviting the greenery outside to complement the tranquil tones of the specimens. Floating leaves evoke "clouds," bringing a playful energy to the space. Display cabinets are set at child-friendly heights to encourage interaction and exploration, fostering a sense of independence and discovery.
5. Reading Zone
Harmony Between Motion and Stillness
A central axis in the design leads to the reading zone, where bookshelves replace traditional screens to naturally divide the space into a café, tea-tasting area, discussion zone, and model display section.
Instead of direct lighting, the design incorporates indirect illumination from light strips embedded in the wooden lattice bookshelves, creating a soft, atmospheric glow suitable for both reading and discussions. These bookshelves also enhance spatial transparency, allowing light and shadow to play dynamically, balancing openness and privacy to suit different users and scenarios.
This latticework extends to the stairwell, where it casts elegant, blurred shadows, introducing a sense of mystery to the second-floor meeting and office areas. The perforated texture and warm tones mitigate the rigidity often associated with vertical lines, infusing the negotiation spaces with a touch of Zen-inspired serenity.
“It’s easy to design a dreamlike city, but creating a living, breathing one takes effort,” Jane Jacobs once noted, emphasizing the challenge and significance of designing spaces with warmth and vitality.
By creating spaces that integrate daily life, community interaction, and public flexibility, this project fosters sustained engagement and connection among residents. This is the core of the story's vitality and the end goal of our design exploration.
In an era dominated by the relentless flow of digital information, the Super Normal x Yiwu Binwangdao No.1 project provides a thoughtful approach to reviving offline interactions within communities. It reimagines traditional sales spaces, infusing them with renewed purpose and vitality for the future.
