# Staircase-Centric Flagship Stores Herzog & de Meuron Designs the Toteme Beijing Store By Amy Duong | Published 2025-03-28 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toteme-beijing References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/tag/toteme) & [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2025/03/27/toteme-beijing-herzog-de-meuron/)  Swiss design firm [Herzog & de Meuron](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reading-nooks) has designed the new [Toteme Beijing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toteme-store) store location. The Swedish clothing brand is defined by its facade, which has a pleated white stone finish. Nestled in the city's Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping center, it has just opened its doors today. The design of the space integrates a zigzagged staircase and illuminates with a glowing neon shop sign. Ascan Mergenthaler, studio partner at the firm explained more about the design to [Dezeen](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kalevala), noting "The restrained colour and material palettes reflect Toteme's core values and are at the same time a subtle nod to Chinese culture and craftsmanship. The raw, hollowed-out space breaks with the typical scale and proportion of a standard shop layout, creating a sense of verticality and grandness despite its small footprint." Image Credit: Toteme ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.9/10 - Popularity: 88% | Activity: 80% | Freshness: 38% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Staircase-focused Store Designs:** Retail spaces incorporating zigzagged staircases allow for unique customer experiences and can redefine foot traffic flow. - **Neon-inspired Retail Aesthetics:** Illuminating store fronts with neon signage captures attention and offers brands an opportunity to create memorable visual identities. - **Cultural Fusion in Retail Architecture:** Designs that subtly integrate local cultural elements into global retail spaces enhance customer connection and enrich the shopping experience. ### Who This Affects Most - **Retail Architecture:** Innovations in store design, such as unconventional layouts, redefine the shopping experience and elevate brand presence. - **Lighting Design:** The strategic use of neon lighting in commercial spaces offers new avenues for aesthetic differentiation and brand storytelling. - **Fashion Retail:** Integrating culturally relevant design elements into store environments helps fashion brands resonate with diverse consumer bases. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sculptural Art-Detailed Store Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toteme-store.md) - [Norwegian Coastline-Inspired Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holzweiler-store.md) - [Curved Glass Veiled Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiffany-co-store.md) - [Tactile Fashion Boutique Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/xiaozhuo.md) - [Energetic Green Retail Makeovers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/longchamp-store.md) - [Beijing Flagship Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/louis-vuitton-sanlitun.md) - [texturally artistic fashion stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/acne-studios-flagship-stores.md) - [Luxe Concept Retail Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/saint-laurent-rive-droite-1.md) - [Traditional Store Interior Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ms-min.md)