O2O2O “Online to Offline to Online”

One of the biggest challenges for the retail industry in 2020 was keeping up with the pace of growth and the mounting challenges from Covid-19. Haier as one of the largest home electronics appliances in the world and global leader in the era of the Internet of Things through its Eco-brand strategy, had to adapt with the change of times and consumer habits. With customers shunning physical retail stores, our client took the opportunity to experiment with their live streaming channels and latest IoT enabled retail offerings.

Haier Smart Home Experience Centre 2.0 is a social gathering space, IoT retail platform and livestreaming venue to learn and explore. The aim was to create a unique O-2-O-2-O experience that provokes new ways of shopping and sharing new products, bringing their online consumers offline to their physical store to experience their favourite online personalities doing live broadcasting or engaging with their high-tech and hassle-free smart solutions first hand. Allowing visitors to be part of its IoT community and network.

Taking over a row of 10 dilapidated shop-lots, Spacemen introduced a monolithic facade of white recon stone to juxtaposes against the rugged apartment complex above. This was to create stark contrast to the existing context to breathe new life into the nearly abandoned street level shops. Envisioned as their flagship in Beijing the fluid and modern design language and materials encapsulates Haier’s identity as a leader and pioneer in the forward-thinking smart home technology industry.

As a hybrid gathering space where visitors come together to innovate ideas, the multifunctional event space is equipped with a 15m long tri-screened theatre that allows for an immersive cinematic experience during brand introductions, data sharing, and workshops. A monotonous feature wall of the Beijing City skyline spanning the length of the lounge area was designed as photo op wall for their weekly Haier conferences as well.

With live streaming being an integral part of the shopping experience, various rooms and designated retail areas were designed for live broadcast ranging from a casual lounge styled interview room, to home scenario settings like the kitchen and living room, situated throughout the experience centre. Visitors get a chance to watch their favourite host in action testing products on camera while users interact through live chats to get real time feedback on the products.

The retail concepts provides a chance for visitors to fully immerse themselves into the ever evolving and innovating IoT world of Haier. It currently houses smart solution-focused programs for food, laundry, air systems, integrated home security systems, and home theatre systems. Engagement between visitor and products are encouraged via interactive screens dotted throughout.

To open up the floor plan of the shop lots, we demolished walls and strategically removed certain floor plates to introduce a new staircase that leads to the upper retail floors with a tiered seating area that mimics the landscape of watering hole by a mountainside underneath a tree. It acts as a social space for gatherings and casual discussions.

Location 地点 : Shanghai

Net Area 室内面积 : 2000sqm

Completed 施工期 : October 2020

Team 项目团队 : Edward Tan, Hoiyee Lim, Raymond Tang, Simon Liu

Photographer 摄影 : Min Chen Xuan