KUKA Experience Centre

Zhengzhou, Henan

Type

Retail

Services

Size

579 ㎡

Introduction

As smart technologies continue to reshape the domestic environment, conventional furniture showrooms—largely organized around static product displays—have become increasingly inadequate in communicating the real value of intelligent home systems. This challenge is particularly evident in living–dining spaces, where comfort, adaptability, and daily use are central to the user experience. Against this backdrop, KUKA initiated a new showroom concept aimed at redefining how smart living–dining products are presented and understood. Rather than enhancing visual display alone, the project sought to shift the focus from product exhibition to lived experience. HATCH Architects was commissioned to develop a spatial strategy capable of translating smart technology into tangible, everyday scenarios. The design team approached the showroom not as a retail container, but as a space where daily life could unfold. Spanning 579 square meters, the interior is organized as a continuous experiential sequence, guiding visitors through stages of introduction, immersion, product focus, and service completion. The spatial narrative allows users to gradually understand how smart furniture systems integrate into real-life situations. Instead of conventional zoning, the project adopts an implicit “space as stage” logic. Functional layering and emotional pacing work together to shape the visitor’s journey, aligning circulation, scale, and atmosphere with different modes of use. Entrance areas establish brand recognition and technological awareness, while the central zones prioritize scenario-based experience. Core product displays are embedded within these scenes rather than isolated, reinforcing the relationship between technology and everyday behavior. Multiple living–dining scenarios are embedded within the showroom, including home entertainment, social interaction, leisure, and home-office settings. Through precise calibration of seating angles, lighting conditions, and intelligent system responses, product features are transformed from abstract specifications into physical sensations perceived by the body. Comfort, posture, and spatial atmosphere become key mediators between technology and the user. Material selection and spatial expression are deliberately restrained. A palette of low-saturation neutral tones forms the backdrop, complemented by matte metals, luminous membranes, and warm-textured surfaces. This balance softens the technological character of the space while maintaining clarity and precision. Modular, movable partitions further enhance adaptability, allowing the showroom to be reconfigured for seasonal updates, new product launches, or evolving retail strategies. Rather than serving as a fixed display environment, the showroom functions as an operational framework—one that supports long-term flexibility and evolving narratives. By prioritizing experience over explanation and scenario over display, the project proposes an alternative model for smart home retail. Ultimately, the KUKA Smart Living–Dining Showroom represents a shift in the role of retail space: from a site of presentation to a medium of experience, where technology, furniture, and everyday life are seamlessly aligned.
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