Architecture becomes the toy when spatial design replaces decorative convention.
What happens when a design team stops thinking about decoration entirely and starts thinking about architecture as play equipment? Leo Sun and Muxin Studio answered that question in 108 square meters of Shanghai real estate with Sissis Wonderland, a parent-child reading space where curved walls, child-scaled arches, and bubble-like spatial zones transform the built environment into an explorable landscape. The project, recognized with a Golden A' Design Award in Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design, emerged from deliberate research into existing children's spaces saturated with cartoon figures and bright color schemes. The design team concentrated on the shape of space itself, creating an environment where bookshelves double as seating, ramps zigzag through interconnected zones, and children navigate architectural forms as naturally as they would navigate their own imaginations.
Brands investing in family environments can extract actionable principles from the Sissis Wonderland approach. The bubble metaphor operates as spatial grammar: distinct zones attach and communicate while maintaining individual identities, allowing introverted children to find comfortable niches while extroverted children enjoy flowing connections. Every element responds to child proportions, from miniature arches to stairs with varying heights, communicating to young visitors that the space was designed specifically for them. Wood as primary material establishes warmth and nature connection. White paint and soft grey floors let architectural forms become the visual focus. Green plants at spatial boundaries sustain what the designers call the dynamic among person, space, and nature. For retail brands, hospitality venues, and educational facilities, the insight proves valuable: children do not need toys within a space when the space itself invites climbing, hiding, and discovering.
The Sissis Wonderland project completed in two months demonstrates that immersive family design does not require massive footprints or extended timelines. The investment shifts from replaceable decorative elements to permanent architectural features that continue engaging visitors over time. For brands considering family-focused environments, what would it mean to transform your space itself into the experience families seek?
