The GARAGE by DDDD Creative Company

The GARAGE project embodies an exceptionally novel concept, representing a non-standard themed commercial complex centered around vintage modified cars, seamlessly integrated with the revitalization of the former car park...

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Project's description: GARAGE is located on the B1 floor of Poly Theatre, the centre of Shenzhen's busiest commercial district. It is a non-standard themed commercial complex related to vintage modified cars, combined with the transformation of the original car park. The space planning revolves around the theme of “Special Vehicle Exchange Centre” interpreting the innovation garage culture in the Greater Bay Area and engaging with the lifestyle associated with vintage cars. It includes vintage car exhibition, special car trading, vehicle beauty and maintenance, car tuning, tuning accessories retail, car culture curation, cigar and coffee club and other commercial support.

01 Retro-futurism

The cars are a product of the industrial age and a trend-setting culture at the same time. Retro-future has become the main DNA of the space. Retrofuture is a movement in the creative arts that encompasses two overlapping trends - looking at the future from the past and the past from the past, summarising as ‘very old new’ and ‘very new old’. Utilising vintage cultural tiles, oxidised brass hardware, old shop gates, and American neon signs, the design creates a retro feeling of the underground car culture of the early 18th century. UFO-shaped gas station, silver material and aluminium texture are the consensus of the future depicted at that time. The fusion of the two perceptions blurs the boundaries between the past and the future, depicting the GARAGE stylistic positioning in a realistic scenario.

02 Spatial Narratives of GARAGE

The design uses a Hollywood film to build a story line as the backdrop for the space's narrative: a business empire featuring tuned cars and underground trading. Modified car parties, skateboarding, graffiti, underground music, black market trading, bars and other businesses revolve around the modified car underworld atmosphere in the film. The bosses behind the scenes manipulate an entire underground business empire. Everyone who enters is drawn in by the dark glamour of the film's impressions, substituting this world for the gaming experience.

The space is divided into three levels. The front area is an entrance driveway in black colour with regularity. In the middle area, the grey tone of cement and stainless steel cover the main commercial street area. The back area is a used car trading area with gold as the main element. The three levels correspond to the backgrounds of the three different classes of characters in the storyline, namely, the car trader, the street driver and the boss.

03 Local Culture

As the first vintage garage complex in the Greater Bay Area, the design also explores localised cultural practices. Shenzhen, China is a youthful city that is gathering young people from all over the world with “gold fever”. That's why Shenzhen has been called the ‘money’ city on the internet. The space creates an car-mediated vault for speciality classic and modified cars. Guiding customers immerse into the storyline, it helps them temporarily forget the stress of work during a race of speed and passion.

Taxi Stand

There is a large illuminated round fixture at the entrance of the underground garage. Its inspiration is from the U.S. flying saucer shaped gas stations of the 50s-60s. For redesigning the original column in the space and considering the turning safety of cars, the solution to process the columns here is making it as semi-circular lamp panel and use the mirror to reflect it into a complete circle. It is eye-cathing and futuristic by simulating the UFO landing state. The regular aluminium frame inlaid with mirrors on the wall of the taxi stand allows drivers to admire their cars through the mirrors, also rendering a futuristic industrial scene.

Underground Cafe

By designing the cafe next to the car wash and maintenance shop, customers can see the service status of their car care while enjoying their coffee. The main colour of the cafe is made of caramel raw wood tones, low saturated pink marble table and natural black lime stone floors. Overall, the design reflect the retro cinema feel of the car club. Customers who like vintage cars are rich in unique taste. Look through the symmetrical curved window glass, you can see the barista’s working condition, and the cozy scene that guests sitting on the antique furniture and listening vinyl records. In terms of space planning, the interior of the cafe is designed with a vinyl record section and a separate space for cigars. The designers wanted customers to have a tasteful experience.

Underground car accessories shop

The gate is the old scissor-shaped iron style which represents the garage culture in Hongkong/Taiwan. When you walk in, there is a wide range of car accessories. It is next to a vintage watch repair shop made of piano lacquered wood veneer and Bulgari vintage red marble. The conflict between the visual and spatial sends a shock to people and give the sense of vintage and premium.

Underground car washroom

The overall space is made of black vintage tiles and grey walls with aluminium panel doors, inspired by the Chicago building. The large black curved iron framed windows give the whole workshop a mechanical industrial assembly line feeling with an Art Deco atmosphere.

Car tuning room

Inspired by the 1985 sci-fi film BLACK TO THE FUTURE, the aircraft aluminium is paired with an old-fashioned LED scrolling screen. The gate applies heavy-duty folding doors. When the car drives into the black space and the electric lift rises slowly, the ceiling circular light panel shines a light on the roof of the car. Meanwhile, through the mirror reflection on three sides of the wall, this is like a time machine in a film that travels through space and time. It presents an illusion of travelling into the future.

Design company: DDDD Creative Company
Location: Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
Chief Designer: John Sun
Year: 2023
Area: 6,900 sqm
Photography: YUUUUNSTUDIO