Chinese design firm Onoaa Studio has created a striking minimalist showroom for Japanese photography manufacturer Sigma in Shanghai, where cameras and lenses take center stage in a carefully curated 500-square-meter space. The showroom embodies Sigma's heritage as a photography equipment producer that has been operating from its factory in the scenic mountain city of Aizuwakamatsu, Japan, since 1973.
The interior design reflects Sigma's "pure" aesthetic and the natural landscape where its products are manufactured. Onoaa Studio divided the showroom into three distinct areas, beginning with a reception area featuring walls coated with white concrete and floors laid with grey handmade bricks. A single bulb suspended from a thin wire hangs above the service desk, which features a top inlaid with dark blue wool, creating an atmosphere that mirrors the brand's minimalist aesthetic.
The reception area also houses a specialized repair room for Sigma cameras, designed with laboratory-like precision. At the center sits a two-person workstation, surrounded by walls fitted with drawers that store screws and various camera components. An illuminated ceiling gives the space a "laboratory-like serenity," while two large windows allow customers to observe technicians at work, adding transparency to the repair process.
The showroom's most impressive feature is a ten-meter-wide display wall that demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship in Sigma's products. Made up of angled metal fins supported by a custom-made mount, this wall presents more than 100 of the brand's lenses in an organized display. An adjacent wall features a light-up niche that exhibits cameras on glass shelves, while a chunky circular display plinth crafted from limestone resembles the shape of a traditional lens.
To reflect Sigma's dedication to the art of photography, the studio incorporated a small photography gallery within the showroom. Pictures are displayed either on walls or on black-metal standing frames, with natural light carefully controlled by sheer white shade screens hung in front of the windows along the showroom's north facade. This thoughtful lighting design ensures optimal viewing conditions for the photographic works.
Sigma Space has been shortlisted in the large retail interior category at this year's Dezeen Awards, competing alongside other notable projects. These include streetwear brand Supreme's Miami store, which features a floating skate bowl, and the Tianjin Zhongshuge bookshop in Tianjin, China, known for its slatted steel shelves designed to resemble waves. The photography for the project was captured by Jonathan Leijonhufvud, documenting the clean lines and minimalist approach that defines this unique retail space.
