By Rita Ma
Updated: 2007-12-05 10:28

The stone-faced art deco buildings along Nanjing Dong Lu may hark to the past, but Nokia's first flagship store on the Chinese mainland, with its shiny glass facade, definitely points to the future.

Opened just a month ago, the Nokia 'glasshouse' is the latest step in the company's ambitious plan for a global network of 18 flagship stores, spreading from Moscow to Chicago, Hong Kong, Helsinki, New York, Mexico City and now to Shanghai.

The Shanghai store is the world's largest and the only stand-alone one to date. Like its predecessors, however, it offers a variety of multimedia devices and state-of-the-art audio and video systems. Upon entering, blue and green LED lights glow through half-transparent panels. Display screens transmit videos of products as well as Nokia's five new ambassadors – VJ Li Chen, pop singers Hu Yanbin and An Yixuan, dancer Lian Du and philanthropist Du Cong, all of whom were selected to represent the 'cool' generation of techno-worshippers. Unlike other electronic stores, real handsets are displayed on an open counter, which lights up with detailed information about the model.

On the second level, there's a "try-it" mobile experience wherein consumers are connected to the store's network and linked to a selection of relevant Nokia 'N' series accessories such as wireless speakers, headsets and printers.

With the guidance of staff members, graduates of the Nokia Academy dressed in bright orange, you can navigate the Web, send emails, listen to music, play games, receive weather forecasts and even print a photo. "A mobile phone is no longer a traditional communication device. It has become part of our daily lives and represents a new lifestyle," says Colin Giles, president of Nokia China. “The mobile device that you use is representative of your lifestyle, taste and preferences- ultimately, who you are." If you happen to be a high-roller, go directly to the third floor, where the new Constellation series of super-luxury gold and diamond Vertu mobiles are on display.

To mark the opening of its Shanghai flagship store, Nokia launched the Pass-It-On campaign, inspired by its consumer vision of "connecting people". The campaign features five 'ambassadors' whose mobile experiences are stored on Nokia mobiles; the information is then shared among them, and subsequently passed along to different people.

Nokia Flagship Store
Location: 546 Nanjing Dong Lu
Tel: 021-33049988 ext 160