Architects: TOMO Design, TO ACC
Area: 500 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: FREE WILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Lead Architects: Uno Chan, Xiao Fei
Architects Team: Ethan, Yang Mei, Leo, Jennifer
Design Team: Tin, Daya Xu, Jiada
Client: MASONPRINCE
Installation Art: ACEPHALESTUDIO
Technical Support: YCWORK
Brand Promotion: Xiao Fei, Yuu, Tuantuan, Sunshine PR
City: Guangzhou
Country: China
The MASONPRINCE Yongqingfang Store by TOMO Design reimagines retail as an immersive cultural experience within Guangzhou’s historic Sai Kwan Mansion, a Lingnan-style building at the heart of Yongqingfang. Drawing inspiration from Bruce Lee’s philosophy of “Be Water,” the 500-square-meter store unfolds across three floors, each defined by distinct themes: Tea House, Dojo, and Guild Hall. Traditional Cantonese aesthetics, symbolic motifs, and reinterpretations of classical forms coexist with cutting-edge installations and contemporary retail design. Water as a metaphor for vitality and adaptability shapes both spatial narratives and decorative elements, while interactive artworks and reimagined cultural objects invite exploration. The design fuses retro Cantonese sensibilities with avant-garde interventions, creating a dialogue between heritage and modernity. By layering architectural memory with experimental scenography, the project transforms a historic site into a living stage for fashion, philosophy, and cultural storytelling.
Collaborating with MASONPRINCE, we crafted new experiences by creating a narrative with an interrupted timeline, incorporating a design language that ‘transcends the present’, and building a work scenario of ‘MP Studio’ in the space.
Interview with Uno Chan of TOMO DESIGN
TOMO Design’s transformation of the Sai Kwan Mansion in Yongqingfang is rooted in Bruce Lee’s enduring words: “Be Water, My Friend.” This philosophy of fluidity and adaptability defines both the spirit of the store and the cultural landscape in which it sits. MASONPRINCE’s new home in Guangzhou does not present itself as a conventional retail outlet, but as a three-level journey through themes of hospitality, philosophy, and cultural memory.
The ground floor, introduced as “Welcoming Guests from All Over the World,” is conceived as a Tea House that blends Lingnan heritage with contemporary design. A central octagonal fountain, paired with the symbolic installation “Turn of Fortune,” embodies the Cantonese belief that flowing water brings wealth and prosperity. Stained glass windows and mirrored surfaces create a kaleidoscopic play of light, while cultural motifs enrich the atmosphere. The installation “Carp Jumping Over the Dragon Gate” references a well-known Chinese legend in which the carp transforms into a dragon after leaping over a gate, a symbol of success and advancement. Through such reinterpretations, traditional Cantonese emblems are carried into a contemporary setting, expressing vitality and aspiration.
The second floor unfolds as a Dojo, under the theme “Gathering Heroes from All Over the World.” Here, a restrained beige palette and brick flooring ground the space in simplicity, while weapon racks reinterpret martial arts halls as clothing displays. The centerpiece is an installation pairing a bionic martial artist with a wooden dummy, a symbolic encounter that bridges ritual practice with technological precision. This fusion reflects Bruce Lee’s belief in martial arts as both discipline and innovation, extending the project’s exploration of cultural continuity.
At the top level, the Guild Hall takes on the motto “Gathering Friends from All Over the World.” Evoking the atmosphere of Guangzhou’s department stores of the 1970s and 1980s, this space blends retro office typologies with imaginative reinterpretations. A fish tank disguised as a printer and a swimming pool set upon a conference table invite visitors to reconsider the boundaries between daily life and surreal cultural expression. The installations act as playful metaphors, transforming workaday objects into imaginative narratives that challenge expectations.
By integrating symbolic quotes and cultural idioms, TOMO Design enriches the architectural experience, giving depth to every installation. The project does more than house a fashion brand; it creates a stage where heritage and contemporary culture meet. In the words of its guiding philosophy, the design becomes like water—formless, inclusive, and endlessly adaptable.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Li Xiaolong Ancestral Home, No. 13 Yongqing 1st Lane, Enning Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510150 (or 510000), China
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
