In the spring of 2024, ICCF Group unveiled its first multi-brand flagship complex, ICCF GARDEN, in Xuhui, Shanghai, marking a milestone for the Group.
The garden is located at No. 2 Hengshan Road and No. 12 Dongping Road, Xuhui District, which is the central area of Hengfu Historical and Cultural District, adjacent to a number of historical buildings. After the relocation of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in the 1950s, it gradually became a place of exchange, music, culture and art, and has grown in the spirit of Shanghai School to this day. The hundred-year-old sycamore stands on both sides of the street, quiet and natural, and fascinating.
The project consists of four buildings, two of which are listed in the 1920s and two modern buildings built in the 1990s in a spacious garden courtyard with a total area of about 2,000 square meters. The Group's fashion brands ICICLE (including a women's clothing store and a menswear store), CARVEN, fusion food and beverage brand SILEX Flintstone and a new concept café SILEX GOURMET have all settled in.
Zhihe Kafen Group carefully selected partners from all over the world to work together to build this strategic project. The German firm gmp Architects, which had cooperated with the group in the construction of the Lingang Zhihe Kafen Fashion Industrial Park project, was responsible for the design of the façade and garden space. The interior design was entrusted to Belgian architect Bernard Dubois, and this is the fourth time that Dubois has co-created a large-scale project with the Hekafan Group, which continues and expands the aesthetics of the space explored by both parties in China and Paris. Shanghai Mingyue Architectural Design Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Xufang Construction Industry Co., Ltd. are responsible for the restoration design of the historic building and the restoration and structural renovation of the historic building, respectively. In addition, RIVA 1920, an Italian solid wood furniture brand with exceptional craftsmanship, supplies most of the furniture for SILEX Flintstone restaurants, cafes and brand stores.
With full respect for the building itself and its surrounding history, the project has carried out a protective restoration based on rigorous research and site surveys, reclaiming traditional craftsmanship and materials, and restoring key architectural elements.
The project is designed to highlight the unique value of each building, by juxtaposing the old and the new, and juxtaposing the old and the new. The exterior of the two buildings from the 90s has been transformed into a clean, modern look, with neutral greys and whites that contrast with the historic buildings. At the same time, gmp distills and pays homage to the original design elements of historic buildings. Elements such as pitched ceilings, arched windows, parapet moldings, bricks and brushed stone are skillfully utilized to balance heritage and innovation, blending traditional Chinese and Western craftsmanship.
Adhering to the business philosophy of the Group, the project is based on the long-term and is an important part of the Group's sustainable development practice. Like ICICLE's clothing, the project aims to abandon the contemporary format of excessive, fast and disposable consumption, and prioritize natural, durable and unpretentious materials. Whether it's the quality of the materials or the simplicity of the design, the focus is always on timelessness.
The Garden of Wo Kafen
As visitors walk down the street into the garden, they are placed in another world – a transcendent space, a secluded cluster of houses, and a carefully designed garden in the center. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF HENGSHAN ROAD IS THE FIRST SILEX GOURMET CAFÉ, AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE THREE-STOREY HISTORIC RESTORED BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE ICICLE WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE. Further in-depth, there is the ICICLE Zhihe men's clothing store, which has opened the Zhihe bookstore and cultural exhibition space on the third floor. ADJACENT TO ANOTHER HISTORIC RESTORED BUILDING WILL FEATURE THE NEW CARVEN COLLECTION ON THE GROUND FLOOR, WHILE THE SILEX FLINT AND STEEL RESTAURANT WILL BE LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
ICICLE Women's Clothing is a space designed to showcase the full range of products. Stepping into the shop in a historic building along the street, visitors will be presented with a symmetrical view of the space. The floors and building finishes are made of limestone, while the walls and ceilings are powder-finished with the same rock, giving the space a warm and coherent colour. The central alcove is adorned with the signature off-white handmade terracotta tubes, which contrast the material and colour with the terracotta-coloured furniture. Chinese tradition and European classics naturally converge in the architectural form.
The original wooden staircase has been retained, reproduced and reconstructed, leading visitors to the second floor. The sloping wooden roof rises high, creating a modern, minimalist space. Two balconies facing the street and a terrace on the north side provide outdoor space where visitors can enjoy the Hengfu landscape and the Wutong street view. The balcony floor tiles are the original of the building, which was an unexpected gain of the construction team during the renovation process. It has been carefully cleaned and re-laid, making it a chic design highlight.
On the third floor, there is an exclusive space for VIP customers, where customers can listen to the dialogue between urban and rural styles, and feel the warmth and charm of simple wooden beams.
ICICLE Garden Menswear is the brand's largest menswear boutique to date. Here, ICICLE's brand image is presented in a more sedate and masculine way. As the original building is not historic, it has been renovated and renovated even more significantly. Its distinctive and distinctive façade, which distinguishes it from the two adjacent historic buildings, contrasts with the latter in a humble and respectful way.
The overall ceiling adopts curved corner lines to create a sense of warmth and connectivity in the space. The light well connects the first and second floors, creating a subtle connection and dialogue between the originally limited, independent floors. The RIVA furniture furnished in the store is made of old oak stakes, which conveys a simple and calm texture. Located on the third floor, the bookstore and exhibition space of Zhihe is decorated with dark wood elements, echoing the elegant design of ICICLE's flagship store on Avenue George V in Paris.
THE NEW CARVEN STORE IS LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE SECOND 1920'S HISTORIC BUILDING IN THE GARDEN, WITH THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE SILEX FLINTSTONE RESTAURANT. The building was originally a typical garden house in the last century, the façade of the building has basically maintained the original style, and the traditional brushed stone walls and the ingenious shapes of the door and window frames have been renovated and restored. The terrazzo floor at the entrance of the store is laid as it is, with wooden doors and windows, recreating the details of this historic building. The wooden staircase has been completely renovated and retains a passage steeped in classic memories. At the same time, a new modern spiral staircase made of natural stone has been added to the space. Two staircases connect to the restaurant on the second floor, creating a bridge between tradition and modernity.
Silex Flintstone Restaurant is housed under exposed beams, with high ceilings and a restored original timber structure creating an intimate and tranquil space. The new restaurant uses warm and natural materials that echo the building's history, creating a blend between the past and the future.
The restaurant also uses RIVA furniture and imported tableware from Japan and France to provide customers with a high-quality dining experience. Seven years after the launch of ICCF Group's first SILEX Flint and Steel restaurant, the new restaurant, also helmed by Chef Kevin Wong Yun, continues to draw inspiration from French cuisine and Chinese culinary traditions to produce nature's finest ingredients.
The fourth building, where the SILEX café is located, has been renovated to replace the original second floor with clean lines and a quiet high ceiling. The store's rustic wood décor transforms it into a minimalist and welcoming retreat, providing a street-level entrance for visitors wishing to learn more about the Garden. The furnishings are from the Italian brand RIVA.
The landscape design of the garden is inspired by the flower fields of the south of France. A winding path connects the buildings, flanked by fragrant herbs, mint and bushes with purple flowers. This is followed by a ribbon of flowers that grow freely from low flowers, such as chrysanthemums and rich geraniums, reflecting the organic natural beauty. The softening of lucids and miscanthus softens, while other individual shrubs of different sizes and heights, such as boxwood, privet, thyme, rosemary and camellia, are planted at will, giving the garden a beautiful and layered look.
The garden also retains the existing mature trees. Laurel, maple, cherry, fir, magnolia, and a spectacular camphor tree provide shade and cool off. The newly planted persimmon trees, which have been planted in the wake of the fir trees that fell in a typhoon a few years ago, show a sense of optimism from their rounded leaves and stretched branches. This tranquil place in the heart of the city interprets the harmonious symbiosis between man, humanity and nature, and provides people with a poetic paradise hidden in the city.
Mr. Yip Shou Zeng and his wife, Ms. Tao Xiaoma, co-founded ICICLE 27 years ago, and later established ICCF Group. For the garden store project, he said:
"We are very pleased to open this new elegant garden store.
Being able to bring all of our brands together in one space to deliver a new retail experience has always been a dream for us.
Today's customers are looking for an in-person experience that goes beyond shopping. I think this complex in the heart of Shanghai, which blends retail, culture and fine dining, is well placed to meet this kind of demand. The location of the project is also particularly clever, allowing us to achieve heritage and innovation, while meticulously restoring the historic building, creating a new way of expression for ICICLE and injecting a touch of French sophistication into a local Chinese project.
Culture has always been at the heart of our business, so opening a second exhibition space and bookstore in Shanghai was important to us. In addition, I feel that the concept of SILEX Flint and Steel Restaurant is in line with our fashion philosophy, which is to make the best use of the resources provided by nature, and we hope that it will become a new must-visit place for the dining scene in Shanghai. Finally, I would like to thank all the partners in this strategic project for their foresight, creativity and rigor. It wasn't easy to fulfill our quest, but they did! ”
More than just an exceptional retail space, as a vehicle for the active integration of tradition and innovation, the garden will be developed into a public narrative space that integrates business, culture, and gastronomy into a dialogue that welcomes locals and like-minded visitors.