Design studio Fyra has fashioned brightly hued interiors for this hassle-free collection point in Helsinki, which includes a recycling area, fitting rooms and product show space.
Situated at the heart of Helsinki, Box is a self-service collection point where locals can retrieve packages they’ve ordered online.
It’s the brainchild of Posti – the Finnish postal service – which wanted to set up a delivery space for online purchases that was “more than just a row of parcel lockers”.
“The consumer behaviour of the Finnish people has changed significantly,”said Kaisa Ilola, Posti’s head of customer experience and channels.
“Before, there was a piece missing between the online store and home. Box was created to fill in the missing piece.”
To develop a stand-out interior, the company turned to Finnish interior design studio Fyra, who worked alongside consultancy Motley.
“[We] began to search for an answer to the question of what would be the perfect self-service store,” said the studio.
Towards the front of the space a “spotlight” section has been created, where different online retailers can showcase a curated selection of their products.
Here there are also a couple of boxy, timber-framed chairs where visitors can sit and grab a coffee.
Visitors can open or pack up their parcels in the unboxing area, which boasts khaki-green joinery. Helpful stationery like scissors, tape and pens are dotted amongst the shelves, while parcels and envelopes are stored flat in niches below.
Packaging materials can alternatively be reused from Box’s recycling zone, which is backed by large wooden panels.
If unsatisfied with their orders, customers can then take packages to digital kiosks where return shipping can be organised and paid for.
Orange velvet curtains mark the entrance to a block of changing rooms, which lets visitors try on clothing orders there and then.
The rear of the space accommodates over 600 storage lockers where orders will be kept. The lockers have been completed with baby-pink or shiny-silver doors, contrasting the colours applied throughout the rest of the space.
“We wanted to use colour-coded areas that support the different service paths and mark and clarify different functionalities in the Box,” explained the studio, which has also used bright neon signage to delineate the space’s different zones.
Additionally, at basement level, there is a white-painted room with rows of seating and a presentation screen which Posti can use for company events.
Fyra was established in 2010 by founders Eva-Marie Eriksson, Hanna Neuvo, Niina Sihto and Tiina Närkki. The studio’s Box project comes as one of the latest moves to make the process of online shopping more efficient.
Last year, Amazon announced that it was going to start sending packages using autonomous drones, allowing customers to receive their orders faster than a one-day delivery service.
Back in 2017 the e-commerce giant also launched a scheme that lets its delivery staff drop off packages inside customers’ homes – even while they’re out.
Source: Rooms - dezeen.com
