Sunbathing on the lawn, browsing an unmanned organic supermarket, and soon experiencing master yoga classes in a renovated trendy space... On March 11, reporters visited Friendship Garden and discovered quiet transformations underway. In February, the ZUCZUG Sustainable Co-construction Platform PF3 space within the garden removed its construction barriers and began trial operation. This creative space, transformed from old buildings, will officially open at the end of March, marking the completion of the final piece in the overall renovation of Beijing Friendship Store.
Entering Friendship Garden, a soaring unicorn sculpture surrounded by flowers catches the eye. With pleasant midday sunshine, many nearby office workers take advantage of their break time to visit and take photos. Each store in the garden has its own distinctive style. A former warehouse has been transformed into the Italian pasta restaurant "Carbo," while Metal Hands Coffee has converted a maintenance room into a "steampunk garden." The employee cafeteria has become a trendy chicken pot restaurant, and a service vehicle garage has been repurposed into a craft beer bar. Wandering through, one can occasionally hear foreign customers speaking various languages chatting softly outside the coffee shop.
Further inside lies a lawn area where many young people come to sunbathe and relax. "We sit in offices all day; what we lack is sunlight," said several office workers who came together, sipping coffee while squinting their eyes in moments of relaxation.
"Last year this was still surrounded by barriers, and now this year everything is open!" Ms. Zhao, who works nearby, came for a stroll with a foreign colleague during her lunch break. The newly opened space she mentioned is precisely the "ZUCZUG Universe Center PF3" next to the lawn. In two facing two-story buildings, multiple niche brands have gathered, along with a coffee shop and the "Chun Geng Qiu Shi 24-Hour Food Store," covering daily scenarios of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, creating an overall atmosphere that is both modern and approachable.
The PF3 space was transformed from the original Friendship Garden cold storage and a separate two-story building that once housed security offices. This space was once part of the department store's supply system, carrying the historical memories of the old Friendship Store. The renovation preserves the original structural texture and historical traces of the buildings while incorporating contemporary architectural design language.
Reporters observed on site that the exterior walls of the PF3 space show mottled traces of time, while large glass curtain walls allow sunlight to stream through. Steel structures divide and design the space, creating a series of "life showcases."
Entering the building, the first floor lobby resembles an incubating "trend laboratory." From Tibetan-style blankets and arch-supporting sports shoes to outdoor functional apparel, multiple niche brands incubated by ZUCZUG have gathered here. The space is highly flexible. "These tables, chairs, and display panels can be moved at any time. In the future, this could be a lecture venue or a classroom for master yoga classes," revealed an on-site manager. The space will continuously introduce new community activities to truly bring it to life.
Walking further inside, the approximately 10-square-meter " Chun Geng Qiu Shi 24-Hour Food Store" glows with light. There are no shop assistants here, only beautifully packaged organic rice, dried fruits, low-alcohol beverages, nougat, and other organic foods. A fitness enthusiast carefully examined the ingredient list of a drink and exclaimed with surprise, "The ingredient list is very clean, perfect for my fitness period." This undisturbed, self-service shopping experience is favored by many young people. It was revealed that a bar in the adjacent space will also open to visitors, offering freshly mixed ecological craft beer.
The renovated two-story building across the way also holds surprises. The first floor features a thoughtfully designed fashion boutique, while ascending to the second floor reveals an eco-friendly brand's clothing space, displaying hand-woven textiles created by ethnic minority women, with warmth emanating from every thread. Bathed in spring sunshine, a peach tree on the second-floor balcony is in full bloom, its pink flowers reaching over the wall, complementing the mottled exterior. Two young women leaned against the railing, laughing and taking photos.
From an enclosed cold storage to a thoughtfully designed public space, the renovation of the Friendship Store has added its final piece to complete the transformation.
