Taking tea-drinking spaces as the medium, it aims to strengthen the connection with local culture and share the brand's story with young people. The project is the first HEYTEA LAB store in Guangzhou, situated at Parc Central, a luxury mall in the heart of the CBD.“HEYTEA LAB” is the brand's flagship store with presence in China's first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and of course Guangzhou.

Taking cues from the local culture and leisurely lifestyle, the design team identified "tea house" as the theme of this store, and focused on creating a cozy yet intimate space which allows customers to spend time there. The space is dominated by white and natural wood hue, with the double-height glass curtain wall bringing in ample daylight. 

Both the improved tile floorings and the two kinds of bespoke handmade bricks on walls draw inspiration from traditional Cantonese architectures. They are replications of traditional materials and craftsmanship based on contemporary design, and at the same time integrate exquisite and austere textures. The door opening references the common form of doors and windows in traditional local arcade buildings, with its dark-colored decorative lines highlighting the "mark" of local buildings. The furniture is characterized by classical forms prevailing in the 1980s and 1990s. The metal chair legs, wood-grain veneers and artificial leather backrest feature typical Southeast-Asian style and carry the local people's childhood memory.

Besides the bar counter that serves basic tea drinks on the first floor, there is a TEA GEEK LAB and a dessert counter on 2F. In addition, "HEYTEA Department Store", an area selling the brand's derivatives such as tote bags and cups is also set in the space. The ceiling is 9.7 meters high, so a conventional “Z”-shaped staircase may cause unpleasant experiences due to too many zigzags. Besides, it may take up too much space on the first floor, leaving little area for arranging seats. Based on those considerations, the design team took advantage of the height difference between the kitchen and the ceiling of the first floor, and eventually created an irregular staircase. 

The brand logo and the art installation “Hello Guangzhou” are respectively set on the walls in the stairwell, creating diverse and fun experiences for customers as they walk up and down stairs. HEYTEA DEPARTMET STORE，i.e. the area selling the brand’s derivatives, is placed at the foyer close to the street. It makes full use of the space under the stairs, and forms a small semi-enclosed area via the shelf and island counter, thereby generating a retailing atmosphere. Centering on the theme “tea house”, the design team reinterpreted iconic elements of traditional tea houses such as cart and steamer, to create storytelling scenes.