DOCUMENTS (闻献), the Chinese high-end fragrance house, is known for its concept stores, pop-ups and spaces. Named Long Temple (珑宫, a play on “龙宫”, the Dragon Palace from Chinese history), the latest DOCUMENTS flagship concept space is located at Gate M at Dream Center West Bund, in Shanghai, the same location as the brand’s “Red House” fragrance pop-up from last year.
As the name suggests, the Long Temple takes inspiration from Chinese traditions and combines them with contemporary appointments. The design is an amber-coloured Chinese aesthetic with traditional craftsmanship such as wood carving and mortise and tenon techniques, both inspired by intangible cultural heritages (ICHs). Meanwhile, to align with DOCUMENTS’ commitment to sustainability, the floor in the Long Temple is paved with a 60% recycled ceramic.
The name of the flagship space is also inspired by the Longteng Avenue (龙腾大道, lit. Dragon Soar Avenue) nearby in Shanghai, and the “珑” DOCUMENTS chosen was used to describe the dainty and translucent nature of the glass bricks in the fragrance store.
The cabinet behind the counter resembles Traditional Chinese Medicine pharmacy cabinets, storing the fragrances as if they were herbal remedies. There is also a special display for the brand’s jewellery and accessory collection with try-on services.
It is natural for a fragrance brand to use offline spaces for marketing, as the olfactory sense needs to be felt viscerally. DOCUMENT’s “CHANKU” (禅酷, lit. zen cool) philosophy is clearly on display in the new space. With its recent collaboration with the dance The Peony Pavilion in Suzhou, the brand is hitting home with its contemporary Chinese, or “New Chinese Style” roots.
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