polette Mahjong
Shanghai , China 2024
Mahjong: An Ode to China
polette Mahjong , Shanghai , China 2024
Architecture : zU-studio architecture
Creators : Javier Zubiria , Pierre Wizman , Michelle Ye
Mahjong: An Ode to China
Shanghai polette’s first showroom in China, located in Shanghai, pays tribute to the local game Mahjong. Following the success of multiple showrooms in – between others – Paris, Antwerp, and Mexico City, the collaboration between Pierre Wizman (polette founder) and Javier Zubiria (zU–studio founder) continues.
Known for innovative designs and strong concepts, previous showrooms turned the world upside–down with an inverted pyramid in Paris while Antwerp offered, as the first store worldwide, a place built as a giant piano. Allowing visitors to play a song together, this was inspired by and thought as a tribute to John Lennon’s Imagine song.
The space, in line with polette’s aesthetic, will be minimal and elegant while including a crucial detail. polette’s showrooms, while unique to each context, share a white, neutral and inclusive aesthetic, resembling art galleries. The Shanghai showroom features a giant Mahjong display, highlighting its cultural significance as a traditional Chinese tile– based game.
The space emphasises the societal importance of play and mirrors the delicate, minimal, and sober design of other polette showrooms. Mahjong Elegance: a tribute to Playfulness. Real Mahjong tiles adorn the central part of the showroom, acting as a focal point and accommodating games and competitions for customers, emphasising the importance of play in human life. White shelves, mirroring Mahjong proportions, showcase the polette collection. The showroom also incorporates 36 giant boxes on each side, respecting the game’s numbers, with eight compartments for frame displays. The showroom’s location and transparent facade encourage citizen interaction, making it a tribute to local culture and a celebration of human playfulness. Ultimately, polette aims to amplify the message of play and connection to the whole planet by creating the world’s largest inhabitable Mahjong box.