Fairy tales unveil a glimpse behind the veil of memory, revealing the childhood world we have long forgotten. Yet, without the wings to fly, childhood remains a pure and innocent dream in the dullness of the adult world.
Wutopia Lab designed the fairy tale-inspired parent-child bookstore for Jiangsu Taoli Chunfeng Cultural and Creative Town — Duoyun Academy Miro Store, completed in October in Baihe Town, Yancheng, Jiangsu.
The Adult World
Initially, I didn’t want to design another bookstore—I didn’t want to be confined by labels. The client, Mr. Wu, introduced me to an IP featuring three animated films by Italian artist Cristina L’àstrego: 1. Mirò the Cat; 2. Forest Circus; 3. The Origin of Life. I was deeply moved by the grand scenes and imagination these works inspired.
Using “The Origin of Life” as the foundational inspiration, I combined elements from the other two films to create a unique fairy tale bookstore experience.
Fairy Tale
Perhaps Peter would have laughed and flown down from the sky after telling a hilarious joke to a star, yet he would have forgotten the reason for his laughter by the time you asked.
Ship
Boldly hoist the beautiful sails and become Peter Pan, charming and free.
I had originally imagined a blue whale entrance for a European-style town street but decided to conceal the most dramatic design behind the scenes. Instead, I chose the ark as the theme—a yellow exterior with a red interior ship docked at Shuhai port. This is where all fairy tales of the Duoyun Academy Miro Store begin.
Tower of Babel
Deep within everyone’s heart lies a secret wish—to always remain a child.
During the site survey, I persuaded the client to include an octagonal tower, initially outside the design scope. Building upon the ark concept, this tower’s symbolism became clear: a lighthouse standing in the harbor.
I designed it as a book tower—like a library. As a child, I imagined a world like Narnia hidden behind bookshelves. At the core of the tower is a red spiral staircase connecting two layers of white bookshelves. Ascending to the second floor, visitors can look up through the sloping roof at sunlight streaming in. Everything in this room begins with the sun.
Forest
Take the second intersection, turn right, then walk forward until dawn.
Stepping out of the White Sky Light Book Tower leads into an abstract black forest. Sparse black metal rods support a hollow metal roof. When sunlight filters through the green gaps, scattered light dances on the black ground, mimicking a forest atmosphere.
This semi-outdoor forest corridor guides visitors to the main space of Duoyun Academy. At the corridor’s end stands the Cloud Gate—a symbol borrowed from the Huangyan branch of Cloud Academy. Looking through the Cloud Gate reveals a new world being summoned. The moon is also visible through the gate, so when looking back, a crescent moon appears to smile from within the forest. This perfectly aligns with the sun at the top of the Tian Guang Shu Tower.
Cloud
Peter loves playing pranks, often flying behind stars unnoticed and blowing big breaths, trying to extinguish them.
Behind Yunmen lies a cloud-themed parent-child area called Yuntai Coffee. We used white gradient perforated aluminum panels that transition into brushed stainless steel, wrapping the surface in layered, interlocking floating forms. Visitors feel as if strolling and resting in the clouds.
The silver and white color palette creates a quiet, private gray-and-white atmosphere, designed to calm visitors before they pass through another Cloud Gate into the grand climax of Duoyun Academy Miro Store—a magnificent picture book library filled with vibrant colors and wonders.
The Ocean: The Origin of All Things
We have been to that place before, still able to hear waves crashing on the shore, though we no longer come ashore.
The main feature of Duoyun Academy Miro Store is the picture book library on the second floor. Fascinated by the ‘house within a house’ concept, I divided the picture books into four themed groups, placing each in separate cabins.
Inspired by Miro’s IP “The Origin of Life,” the entire library was transformed into an ocean with varying shades of blue. Four animal forms—representing marine creatures, amphibians, birds, and mammals—abstractly shape the independent entrances. Different colored perforated aluminum panels create distinct facades, while the interiors remain pure white, preserving the quiet needed for reading.
This picture book library is a tribute and spatial interpretation of “The Origin of Life.”
Circus Under the Starry Sky
No matter how much we try to mature, when hurt and crying, we remain like children.
A striking red perforated aluminum tent stands on the platform outside the picture book library. Visitors entering the town square will immediately notice this fiery tent. It draws inspiration from two sources: Miro’s IP “Forest Circus” and the red flying house atop the Anaya Children’s Restaurant designed by Wutopia Lab five years ago.
The carousel inside symbolizes children and dreams—an emblem that frequently appears in Wutopia Lab’s designs, representing the preservation of childlike innocence in adults.
The red tent rests quietly on fluorite flooring, which absorbs sunlight by day and glows like a starry sky at night—creating the “Starry Sky Garden.” This tent is a children’s declaration to always remain free and joyful.
The Garden of Eden in Jinshan
Sometimes we mock our own naivety, unaware that in this complex and chaotic life, we’re losing many precious qualities we were born with.
I designed a continuous “mountain range” on the roof of the picture book library using golden perforated aluminum curtains. Hidden within Jinshan is a glass house with a rolling wave ceiling.
This multifunctional space, called Qingkong Lecture Hall, can host exhibitions, roadshows, signings, dinners, and parties. I imagined myself as someone pondering without worries inside this simple golden box—my own Garden of Eden.
Breaking Adult Prejudices
When every newborn laughs for the first time, that laughter shatters into thousands of pieces, each becoming a tiny fairy.
I didn’t want to create just an ordinary interior. Fairy tales inspired me to incorporate tents, an ark, mountains, and forests to break the European-style facade. Yet, that wasn’t enough.
I transformed part of an independent house by carving a balcony into the facade shaped like the outline of Mirò the Cat’s face. Readers inside the cat’s head seem to become elves at some point. This interplay of reality and fantasy creates an enchanting, fairy tale-like facade.
Duoyun Academy of Never Never Never Land
Dreams can come true. If you truly desire them, you can have anything in life—as long as you’re willing to sacrifice everything else.
In 2015, my daughter confidently told herself, “I truly love this happy world.” This gave me the courage and responsibility to break through prejudices. Often, children are our greatest teachers. A bookstore can embody our attitude and declaration toward life.
Though the adult world offers no easy words, we strive to create beauty and maintain childlike innocence. This is the true meaning behind the Miro Store at Duoyun Academy.
Once you doubt your ability to fly, you will never fly again.
All quotes are from James Matthew Barrie’s Peter Pan.
Project Drawings
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Third floor plan
△ Section diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Duoyun Academy (Miro Store)
Design Company: Wutopia Lab
Lead Architect: Yu Ting
Project Manager: Pu Shengrui
Project Architect: Lin Chen
Design Team: Lv Jie, Feng Yanyan, Xu Zijie, Bian Chao
Design Consultation: TOPOS Design
Space Sign Design: MEEM DESIGN (Xiuzi, Chen Siyu)
Lighting Consultants: Zhang Chenlu, Wei Shiyu, Liu Xueyi
Construction Drawing Design: Jiangsu Mingcheng Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd
Construction Drawing Team: Huang Tianpeng, Sun Xin, Xu Jian, Hu Fei, Mao Xiaoli, Ming Feng, Lu You, Han Shuang
Photography: CreatAR Images
Video: CreatAR Images
On Camera: iz
Brand Owner: Shanghai Century Duo Yun Culture Development Co., Ltd
Operator: Jiangsu Taoli Chunfeng Cultural and Creative Town Tourism Industry Development Co., Ltd
Operator Team: Zhou Wenjun, Mu Gengen, Zhang Hongyu, Yang Wenjing
IP Materials: Provided and copyrighted by the operator
Construction Unit: Jiangsu Taoli Chunfeng Cultural and Creative Town Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Co., Ltd
Construction Unit: Shanghai Blue Sky House Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd
Grinding Stone Series Supplier: Houxiang Youpin
Customized Aluminum Plate Supplier: Shanghai Tengkuo Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd
Customized Bookshelf Supplier: Zhejiang Meisen Wood Industry
Microcement Supplier: Shanghai Zhumeng International Art Wall Materials
Soft Furnishing Brands: Ziinlife (indoor), Vondom (outdoor), W-Casa (cloud bench)
Main Materials: perforated aluminum plate, gold grinding stone, washed stone, microcement, acrylic, stainless steel
Project Location: Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
Building Area: 1700 square meters
Design Period: April 2021 to July 2021
Construction Period: October 2021 to August 2022
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