The INSIDE World Festival of Interiors in Berlin, which took place alongside the World Architecture Festival, announced Hangzhou AN Interior Design‘s design for the retail brand Heike as the world’s best interior of 2016. The project was selected from among nine category winners, which in turn were picked out of a shortlist totaling 62 projects. The Black Cant System (Hangzhou, China) had earned first prize in the retail category.
Accessed by a narrow staircase, this third-floor retail flagship is a study in monochrome. The stairway emerges through a large box-like structure with a sloped ceiling, which provides space for fitting rooms, storage, display and even a retreat space for staff. The exposed concrete ceiling, beams and pillars serve as a backdrop for the local clothing label’s items, which are hung from racks topped with backlit metal panels.
Described by the designers as a “glum interior” with a “futuristic melancholy atmosphere” for the retail brand, the space brings interior design into a new phase.
