Restriction & Probability — Inspiration and Clues for Lightweight Construction of Retail Spaces

The concept of 'lightweight' originated in the field of car racing. In fact, this concept is not difficult to understand - being lighter brings better control and flexibility and makes it easier for the car to reach higher speeds.

'Lightweight' implies being light and nimble, the opposite of which is cumbersome and heavy. In recent years, the term 'lightweight' has become more widespread and has been extended to many fields. In the design of commercial retail spaces, 'lightweight' designs have also gained popularity.

With complex shifts in the current geopolitical and economic environment, especially in the post-pandemic era, many industries are facing new challenges and pressures. The offline physical retail industry is not only burdened by fixed costs such as rent and labor, but also has to face severe competition from online e-commerce.

In the face of competition, on the one hand, we see retail brands investing more in flagship stores, intensifying space design, enhancing consumer experiences, and focusing on social communication. On the other hand, we also see standard stores of the same brands facing constraints to be able to adeptly balance costs, efficiency, and their brand tone.

Industry trends and changes have led brands to put forward new demands from commercial space design and construction. The design needs for lightweight, modular, editable, expandable, and movable solutions are gradually being considered seriously and practiced widely.

The goal of lightweighting is to minimize the "self-weight" of the structure within the given framework and restrictions, while meeting requirements of life expectancy and reliability. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to choose appropriate structures, lightweight materials, smart connection techniques, accurate designs, with scalable and automated mass production capabilities. In addition to these factors, considerations also need to be given to cost and the consistency of brand temperament, etc. (* Lightweight Design Guide ©Moyusiji).

Based on delivering insights into the trends and demands of commercial retail, as well as on sharing in depth practical experience from numerous institutions working on real life projects, we have curated this exhibition. The showcase includes a myriad of "possibilities" created under stringent "restrictions". This is not just a temporary fad or strategy to meet current economic challenges, but an important trend for a sustainable future.

This curation is co-organized by Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (organizer of China in-store) and Hi Design, with the participation from more than 20 domestic design and brand institutions. It will be held from November 29 to December 1, 2023, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center Hall W5.

As the official satellite exhibition in China of EuroShop, the world's leading retail exhibition, China in-store continues to pursue EuroShop's endeavor to promote communication among global retailers. Since its launch in China in 2015, this exhibition is committed to present design-thinking based store solutions for the entire industry. It will provide more space for suppliers of high-quality store solutions to showcase their expertise (store design, props, materials, lighting, retail technology, retail marketing etc.), and bring more inspiration to the retail industry. The curation will be held concurrently with China in-store 2023.

Through this curation, we hope to bring more inspiration and ideas, leading to higher thinking and deeper communication. We hope a greater number of participants from this curation can collectively promote the "lightweighting of commercial space design" in their projects.

Centered around the theme of this curation, China in-store and Hi Design have jointly launched a forum on the same topic, inviting founders of several participating institutions to share and discuss the concept of lightweight construction.

Speakers include:

Bo Zhenqi: Founder and Architect of ROARCRENEW Architects

Feng Bingliang: Founder of MAKINGPARK

Liu Quanquan: Doctor of Engineering from Department of Architecture of Technische Universität Berlin, Chief Architect at Atelier Gegeben

Luo Shanghua: Co-founder of FON STUDIO

Li Hongzhen: Founder and Designer at MOSTORE

Bo Weining: Founder of Hi Design

For more details of China in-store, please follow LinkedIn or visit the official website: www.c-in-store.com/en

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Press Contact:

Ms. Tracy Yu

Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86-21-6169 8336

Fax: +86-21-6169 8301

tracy.yu@mds.cn

www.mds.cn

Organizers background information

Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Established in 2009, Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (MDS) is a subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, one of the world’s top exhibition organizers. MDS is committed to introducing industry leading trade fairs to China and providing Chinese and international customers with superior exhibition services. MDS is successfully holding 14 leading trade fairs and conferences in China, covering a broad range of industries including printing, packaging, wire and tube, plastics, medical devices, rehabilitation, retail, occupational safety and health, wine & spirits and caravanning. With a workforce of 60+ fulltime employees, the company’s head office is located in Shanghai with a branch office in Beijing. For more information about MDS, please visit www.mds.cn.