Recently, Tianjin Zhongshuge, designed by X+Living, was awarded the Prix Versailles 2025 in the category of World's Most Beautiful Emporiums.

This year's Prix Versailles EMPORIUMS category selected eight outstanding projects from China, the United States, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Malaysia. Alongside Tianjin Zhongshuge, the list features seven flagship stores of leading international brands:

Cartier Brussels Flagship, design by Friedmann & Versace
Louis Vuitton Taikoo Hui, design by OMA
Tiffany ＆ Co. Montenapoleone, design by Peter Marino Architect
Rolex Ginza, design by Curiosity INC.
Toraya Ginza Building, design by Kajima Corporation ＆ Naito Architects
Apple The Exchange TRX, , design by Foster + Partners
Longchamp SoHo Flagship, design by Heatherwick Studio


Amid a roster of commercial projects dominated by top luxury brands, Tianjin Zhongshuge stands out as the only cultural retail space. Its design goes beyond commercial value to emphasize the transmission and extension of cultural meaning. With a spatial composition and construction strategy full of artistic tension, the project creates an urban “cultural living room” that integrates reading, social exchange, aesthetic experience, and public value.

The design demonstrates the immense potential of cultural DNA in reshaping commercial space. More than just a bookstore, it has become a cultural landmark that nourishes the city through its sense of publicness and spirituality. This recognition highlights how design rooted in local culture and attentive to spiritual needs can achieve international acclaim within a global commercial context, while showcasing the cultural confidence and innovative strength of Chinese design.

As Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles, remarked:

“These eight projects represent the pinnacle of the beauty that commerce is capable of producing. By shining a light on skills and expertise, and by imagining new and enchanting worlds, they impart a sense of elegance and poetry that runs deeper than their mere walls. They prove that trust—the core value that such spaces seek to convey—can be cultivated through boldness, openness and innovation. Lastly, they are worthy of world renown, given the way they embody and bring to life distinctive cultures, sources of inspiration for humankind.”

Founded in 2015, the Prix Versailles is supported by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA). It celebrates the world's finest contemporary architectural achievements, honoring values championed by the United Nations, including innovation, creativity, reflection of local heritage, ecological efficiency, and social interaction and participation. Each year, the jury selects exemplary projects from around the globe, highlighting the cutting edge of contemporary spatial design.