Rongbaohang BMW 5S Store | Ekphrastics
Rongbaohang BMW 5S Store by Yixian Chen

Rongbaohang BMW 5S Store

Silver A' Design Award Winner 2024

Warm walnut timber battens orchestrate the spatial narrative of Yixian Chen's Rongbaohang BMW 5S Store, cascading across the ceiling plane in rhythmic horizontal striations that create a dynamic canopy over the automotive display environment below, where a lustrous deep sapphire sedan occupies the foreground position on polished obsidian-toned flooring that mirrors the vehicle's refined silhouette with subtle reflective luminosity. The compositional architecture employs a masterful diagonal thrust from upper left to lower right, established by the suspended timber lattice system that draws the eye through successive spatial zones while simultaneously compressing and expanding perceived ceiling height through strategic density variation of the wood elements. The chromatic palette achieves sophisticated restraint through a triadic harmony of warm umber-toned timber against pristine alabaster walls and ceiling surfaces, punctuated by the cool metallic presence of the featured vehicles whose bodywork ranges from midnight indigo through graphite to silvered grey. Linear LED fixtures integrated within the timber framework provide zenithal illumination that washes downward with diffused warmth, creating soft-edged shadows beneath the vehicle forms while accentuating the three-dimensional depth of the layered ceiling system. The spatial construction employs deliberate perspectival recession through the diminishing scale of the timber grid toward the background, where floor-to-ceiling glazing admits abundant natural daylight that suffuses the far display zone with atmospheric luminosity. Textural contrast emerges between the tactile grain of the natural timber, the mirror-smooth automotive lacquer, the matte uniformity of painted architectural surfaces, and the crystalline transparency of the window wall. The design vocabulary resonates with contemporary commercial interior traditions that privilege materiality, warmth, and human-scaled spatial experience, transforming the retail environment into a gallery-like setting where engineered objects achieve the contemplative presence of sculptural forms.

The entire project is designed based on a unique and penetrating circular motion line. The ceilings on the first and second floors are covered with blue acrylic transparent panels. The shape not only symbolizes the dynamic driving trajectory of BMW racing cars, but also means flowing water ripples, echoing the water landscape composed of a water curtain and a pool. BMW's iconic three-color slash bar becomes a partition and stands proudly on the waterside, with the noumenon and mirror blended together perfectly, making people experience the movement in static state.