The Fine Wine Experience Shanghai
THE FINE WINE EXPERIENCE SHANGHAI
HATCH Architects
ARCHITECTS
HATCH Architects
LEAD ARCHITECTS
David Wei
DESIGN TEAM
Kris Zhang, Zhihui Xu, Jinxi Yang
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Shanghai Huihong Construction Group Co., LTD.
LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Nouveau Light Studio
PHOTOGRAPHS
Runzi Zhu
AREA
106 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Shanghai, China
CATEGORY
Restaurant & Bar Interiors
English description provided by the architects.
HATCH Architects has completed the Shanghai flagship store for Hong Kong boutique wine retailer 'The Fine Wine Experience' located on Yongyuan Road near Jing'an Temple.
Working within a highly compact footprint, the project returns to a fundamental question: how can a truly wine-focused tasting experience be constructed at a small scale, with "tasting" as its core?
The Fine Wine Experience specializes in wines and champagnes from France's Burgundy region.
Rather than following the conventional display logic of retail spaces, the client sought a design-driven environment that resonates with the brand's character—one that fosters immersion and creates a spatial experience that can be intuitively perceived and remembered.
The design is therefore structured around scenarios that encourage pausing, interaction, and sensory engagement.
The original mirrored glass façade was replaced with ultra-clear glass to enhance visual transparency between interior and exterior.
Operable motorized windows adapt to changing weather conditions, while the extended glass surface below functions as a front-of-house bar during daily operations.
The base is formed in light gold-tinted glass filled with fine air bubbles, evoking the light, effervescent movement of champagne.
Inside, the space is grounded in a restrained, earthy palette. A circular wine rack defines the spatial core, its fluid geometry echoing the rolling hills of Burgundy and the elegance shaped by time and terroir in winemaking.
At the center, a round tasting bar introduces a theatrical quality to the interior, reinforcing interaction between people and wine.
The bar surfaces are crafted from recycled Burgundy wine bottles, which are crushed, remolded, and kiln-fired. The material itself embodies a process of renewal, transforming sustainability into a tangible spatial experience.
Precision defines the wine display system: 55 mm brass positioning strips ensure orderly bottle alignment, while 45-degree angled lighting accurately illuminates wine labels.
Low-temperature LED strips integrated with UV and IR filters protect the wines' quality, allowing each bottle to be presented clearly and responsibly.
A hidden VIP temperature-controlled wine cellar is tucked into the rear of the store.
Burgundy-toned stone-patterned walls and an irregular mirrored ceiling installation create layered reflections under lighting, suggesting the subtle movement of wine in liquid form.
Within its limited scale, the project avoids formal expansion.
Instead, through careful calibration of use, materiality, and lighting, The Fine Wine Experience transforms wine tasting from a singular act of consumption into an immersive spatial experience.
