PETSROCK

PETSROCK occupies the ground floor of an industrial building in Hangzhou’s Grand Canal Hang Steel Park. Falab retains the robust character of the shell and fills it with a lighter, more agile system of yellow frames, timber boxes and movable seating. The result is a commercial interior organised equally around human routines and canine behaviour. The generous glazed perimeter keeps the park in view and gives dogs continuous visual contact with the exterior. Inside, the restaurant and retail floor remains broadly open. Seating modules are wider than a conventional single place, giving a dog room to settle beside its owner without becoming an obstacle in the aisle. Sliding elements allow the distance between groups to change as social conditions demand. Bright yellow mesh frames act as screens, display supports and attachment points. Their openness preserves sightlines between owners and animals, while orange-brown cushions bring warmth to the industrial palette of exposed red structure, grey service volumes and pale flooring. Timber counters and storage units introduce a second tactile register without disguising the building’s original character. The furniture is conceived as a set of replaceable parts. Metal, tile and plywood accommodate the harder wear expected in a pet environment; panels, seat backs and display pieces can be removed or renewed. Mobile trolleys, clipped accessories and modular shelving allow the operation to evolve without rebuilding the room. A long service core gathers the cashier, counter, kitchen and support spaces. Retail, pet-friendly dining, multifunctional display and activity areas occupy the public frontage, while storage, sterilisation, shipping and staff facilities sit behind. This clear separation keeps the commercial floor open and legible. PETSROCK is persuasive because its pet-centred claims are visible in ordinary details: leash points integrated into tables, low beds positioned beside seats, washable perforated surfaces, open sightlines and space for a dog to choose proximity or distance. Falab turns coexistence into a practical spatial system, framed by the memory of the industrial site.

The project advances beyond decorative pet branding. Its strongest decisions operate at the scale of behaviour: widened seating positions, adjustable separation, integrated leash points and clear visual connections. The open plan gives dogs and owners multiple ways to occupy the room, while the yellow mesh system establishes identity without producing solid barriers.

The retained red-painted structure and tall industrial glazing provide a convincing architectural backdrop. New elements are visibly lighter and reversible, which suits both the heritage setting and the submission’s maintenance strategy. The service core and back-of-house rooms are compactly arranged, leaving the public zone flexible. PETSROCK offers a credible prototype for commercial interiors where animal welfare is treated as a planning concern.

The submitted photographs and plan support the project’s central argument. Dogs are shown beside owners on widened benches, on low integrated platforms and within open visual range. Yellow mesh frames, mobile displays and clipped components appear repeatedly across the interior. The plan also separates the public retail, dining, display and activity areas from kitchen, storage, sterilisation, shipping and staff functions. These documented features show that the pet-centred approach is built into circulation, furniture and operations.

IMAGE 01 — EVENING FAÇADE The evening façade shows PETSROCK occupying the transparent ground floor of an existing red industrial building, with the retained chimney visible beyond. IMAGE 02 — ILLUMINATED SHOPFRONT A closer exterior view records the illuminated shopfront and deep canopy, connecting the interior’s warm yellow fittings to the brick-red shell. IMAGE 03 — INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT The corner perspective reveals the scale of the industrial structure and the continuous glazing that places the public interior in direct contact with the park. IMAGE 04 — PRINCIPAL INTERIOR The principal interior view sets yellow mesh frames and modular seating against exposed red beams, visible services and a grey kitchen volume. IMAGE 05 — SERVICE COUNTER The service counter forms a compact central anchor, while low timber units and open aisles keep the customer floor visually continuous. IMAGE 06 — GLAZED PERIMETER A long view along the glazed wall shows how furniture remains low, preserving daylight and clear orientation across the room. IMAGE 07 — OPEN INDUSTRIAL CEILING The open structural ceiling and linear lighting retain the industrial height; the blue wall marks a distinct activity zone at the far end. IMAGE 08–21 — PET-CENTRED DETAILS AND MODULAR SYSTEM The remaining submitted images document sunlight across the open plan, widened seating positions, integrated pet platforms, detachable cushions, leash points, permeable yellow mesh gates, mobile retail trolleys, replaceable seat-back assemblies, flexible display islands and an exterior mobile station. Together, they show how animal use, retail display, maintenance and circulation are integrated within one modular language.

The plan places the main public entrance at the centre of the long glazed frontage. Retail occupies the central field; pet-friendly dining sits on both sides; multifunctional display and activity areas extend towards the perimeter. A second entrance at the right connects directly with the dining and activity zone. The cashier and counter form a hinge between the public floor and the central kitchen. Raw-material storage, sterilisation, shipping, staff changing, cold storage and food research rooms are consolidated across the rear and left side. This arrangement shortens service routes while protecting the open customer area. Broad aisles, low furniture and movable modules support changing social distances between dogs, owners and other visitors.

PETS ROCK: A Stage for Symbiotic Freedom - Reconceptualizing Pet-Centric Design Through Industrial Heritage Project Statement This project transforms industrial heritage into an innovative prototype for pet-centric design, demonstrating how architectural intervention can foster interspecies coexistence while addressing sustainability through modular, adaptive systems. Located in Hangzhou's Grand Canal Hang Steel Park, the design repurposes industrial infrastructure to create a new paradigm for pet-friendly spaces that honor both animal welfare and environmental responsibility. Moving beyond conventional pet accommodation strategies, PETS ROCK establishes a groundbreaking approach to interspecies spatial design. The project redefines "pet-friendly" not as permission for animals to enter human spaces, but as the creation of environments conceived from the canine perspective. This philosophy manifests through: Behavioral-informed spatial configurations based on detailed observation of canine social patterns Industrial heritage preservation that respects site history while serving contemporary needs Adaptive systems that accommodate both human and animal needs simultaneously 1. Behavioral-Driven Spatial Strategy The design pioneers a fundamental shift from human-centric accommodation to true interspecies coexistence. Through meticulous study of canine behavior, we replaced conventional restaurant layouts with innovative seating systems: "1.5-person width" seating modules allowing pets to remain comfortably beside owners Strategically calibrated social distances addressing animal stress factors Sliding seating elements functioning as adjustable "stage sets" for dynamic spatial negotiation Transparent visual connections maintaining owner-pet awareness during social interactions

2. Sustainable Adaptive Architecture Addressing the accelerated wear patterns of pet environments, we developed a 'growable' architectural approach: Durable material palette combining metals and tiles with replaceable components Seat backs secured with登山扣 systems for easy maintenance and replacement Modular shelving systems evolving with changing operational needs Material lifecycle optimization reducing waste through designed replaceability 3. The project introduces innovative sensory accommodations bridging human and canine experiences: Color selections calibrated within the canine visual spectrum Integrated service stations consolidating human and pet needs Dedicated recycling areas extending sustainability narratives Acoustic planning that mitigates stress for noise-sensitive animals PETS ROCK demonstrates how architectural design can facilitate harmonious interspecies coexistence while repurposing industrial heritage for contemporary social needs. The project offers: A replicable model for pet-friendly commercial spaces Innovative approaches to sustainable material applications New standards for animal welfare in commercial environments Preservation and creative adaptation of industrial heritage This project represents not just a restaurant, but a pioneering exploration of how designed environments can better serve all species, establishing new benchmarks for the rapidly evolving pet industry while honoring architectural heritage through thoughtful adaptation. Project: PETSROCK Designer / Design Company: Falab Location: Grand Canal Hang Steel Park, Hangzhou, China Project Type: Pet-friendly restaurant and retail space Client: Not provided Award: Sky Design Awards 2026 Finalist

Prepared for Merci Magazine × Sky Design Awards 2026