Little Catch

Shanghai, China

Photo © Drew Bates

Drawing © Evelyn Chiu

Architects: Linehouse

Location: Shanghai, China
Year: 2015

Located on one of Shanghai’s busiest streets alive with local food stalls, small restaurants, shops and sidewalk activity, Little Catch is a fishmonger specialising in fresh and cooked seafood. Linehouse created a three dimensional net that externally reaches into the street as a canopy and envelops the customers as they enter into the shop. On the ceiling the net, constructed out of a white powder coated metal structure infilled with white meshes of varying densities and transparencies, opens up in areas to create additional shelving for products. On the walls the metal structure folds and bends to hold the fresh seafood display, the cashier, product shelving and a table seating two.

The flooring is rough concrete and the wall finish glossy white tiling of three different sizes composed to incorporate wall shelving and the menu boards. The menu boards took inspiration from interchangeable letter signs but was incorporated into the final wall finishes using aluminium strips and clear acrylic words. Above wooden oak shelves complete the elevation for product display. The fresh seafood display are made out of custom made stainless steel trays.

The exterior façade is a composition of clear glass windows and mesh panels, the main focus being an extending stainless steel vitrine for the main fresh seafood display. The exterior sign features simply a blue fish printed on canvas and a neon sign fixed on top.