Li Ning, Beijing
Li Ning, one of China’s largest marketers of sports apparel, footwear and equipment, has opened a flagship in Beijing with a bold design that uses the theme of motion to attract and engage shoppers. A strong angular grid pattern is present throughout the store — in the ceilings, lighting and floor pattern — that creates an impression of non-stop movement. The theme is most visible on the sweeping lines of the four-story façade, which features a massive banner with changeable imagery.
For all its modern imagery and feel, the store is also in sync with Chinese culture, evident in the color palette of reds and golds and the materials used throughout the space. The staircase, for example, features wavy bamboo slats and a red line that winds from bottom to top, and the ceiling is called out with curved aluminum lines.
The parquet wood flooring evokes a traditional gymnasium feeling while also playing to the angular theme. Concrete inlays with white graphics reference sporting fields, basketball courts and running tracks, reflecting the diversity of the merchandise. The display tables are inspired by traditional gym equipment.
Li Ning was designed by Storeage, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.