Offhand Practice Transforms Beijing Industrial Space into Deja Vu Recycled Store

Deja Vu Recycled Store, designed by Offhand Practice, opened in 2021 within the Beijing Electromechanical Institute compound. The 700 m² retail interior occupies a former industrial space characterized by ruinous elements like dead vines, tangled wires, an abandoned garbage shed, and a massive chimney. The design team—Nie Xuan, Yuan Yuan, Li Yue, and Lin Chenxi—preserved these contrasts between old and new, while opening up symmetrical windows and skylights on the second floor to flood the space with sunlight, evoking a bustling old railway station. Photographs by Yanyun Hu document the project.