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      El Departamento designs Barcelona eyewear store as a “challenging visual exercise”

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      Slight variations in tone and texture differentiate surfaces inside the PJ Lobster glasses store in Barcelona, which Spanish interiors studio El Departamento has finished entirely in green.

      The shop in the El Born district features walls, floors and stuccoed ceilings all covered in soft, tranquil tones of seafoam green, creating an immersive experience designed to challenge the eye.
      The PJ Lobster store in Barcelona is finished entirely in green”The human eye is able to distinguish more different shades of green than any other colour,” El Departamento told Dezeen. “That’s because, deep inside us, we’re still hunters from the prehistoric era.”
      “So that’s what we wanted to aim for here, not to hunt anything but to recover the challenging visual exercise of exploring a wide range of greens.”
      A glossy counter stands at the centre of the shopThe practice was also influenced by Charles and Ray Eames’s short film Powers of Ten, which explores the scales of the universe.

      This informed El Departamento’s study of different textures within the store “from macro to micro”, from the small-grained velvety micro-cement on the floor to the rough textured plaster that was applied to the wall by hand to achieve the right level of thickness.
      “We wanted to get to the last step, just before a texture becomes a topography,” the studio said. “It was done manually, carefully and step by step to achieve the perfect state.”
      The examination room is located at the rear of the storeStainless steel is another key player in the store, used to create banks of display shelving that frame each pair of glasses, with the soft sheen of the metal creating a striking contrast with the deliberately blobby texture of the walls behind.
      Another textural juxtaposition is provided by the large, capsule-like counter at the heart of the store with its high-shine gloss finish and mirrored top.

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      Further back in the store is an area dedicated to visual examinations, delineated by a shiny pleather curtain and a softer carpeted floor.
      The result, according to El Departamento, is “a vibrant space that swings between the soft and the hard, the rough and the velvety”.
      Glasses are displayed on stainless steel shelvesThe studio has been collaborating with PJ Lobster since the eyewear brand was founded in 2018 under the name Project Lobster, helping the company to expand from an online business into real-life stores.
      With this latest outpost, El Departamento wanted to encapsulate the evolution of the brand and its products.
      The examination room is hidden behind a shiny pleather curtain”We wanted to show that the brand has matured,” the studio said. “We tried to show somehow the organic evolution of the brand by giving this space a more technical and precise atmosphere, where the wide range of textures speaks of the precision levels of the products.”
      Other monochrome eyewear stores include Lunettes Selection in Berlin, which is enveloped by mint-green floor-to-ceiling cabinets, and Melbourne’s Vision Studio where cool-toned industrial materials such as aluminium and concrete are paired with grey marble surfaces.
      The photography is by José Hevia.

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      FOG Architecture adds playful tailoring motifs to Xiaozhuo boutique in Shanghai

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      Chinese architecture studio FOG Architecture has completed a shop for local fashion boutique Xiaozhuo on Julu Road in central Shanghai that features oversized buttons and zippers.

      The 300-square-metre shop features tactile surfaces and playful motifs that reference the process of tailoring.
      The fashion boutique is located in central ShanghaiFOG Architecture used a glazed facade to open up the front of the shop, allowing plenty of natural daylight into the space while blurring the line between the interiors and the street to create a transitional waiting area.
      Beams from an original building on the site were kept and painted red. These support a roof installation comprised of a series of puffy pillows, arranged next to one another and covered in a canvas-like material to create a soft texture.
      A pavilion-like facade was designed to blur the interior and exterior”The result is an exterior of the shop that looks like a ‘small pavilion’,” explained FOG Architecture. “The red columns, the flat roof resembling overlapping tiles, and the antique style stone seats all contribute to this spatial image.”

      “Retail display is the project’s preset function but the pavilion-like exterior challenges it and adds the possibility for leisure, entertainment and social,” the studio added.
      “The front space not only serves as the connection between the shop and the street, but also creates an experimental space that allows contrasting events happen.”
      The entrance of the shop features a grid wallThe entrance of the shop also features a symmetrical gridded wall. Its design was informed by a skylight in the site’s original building, and creates a light-and-shadow effect that adds animation to the wall.
      Square tiles were selected as the main material of the floor and wall in the waiting area, while graphic striplights were installed between the gaps in the ceiling to match the straight lines of the gridded wall.
      Tailoring elements were used as furnishing throughout the shopFollowing the waiting area visitors enter the main area of the shop, where product display and fitting area are arranged on the west side. Packaging, inventory and other supporting functions are located on the east side.
      FOG Architecture decided to use the tools and accessories commonly used in tailoring as the main design narrative of the shop, in response to the fashion brand’s identity.

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      These include red seams, oversized buttons and zipper motifs, and sinuous metallic clothing racks designed to look like sewing thread that add a sense of fun and surprise to the off-white backdrop.
      “The waiting area and the product display area are in sharp contrast in terms of palette, material, shape, and scale — stone versus fabric, light grey versus off-white, straight lines versus curved surfaces — allowing the former to become a transitional area of functions and styles, connecting the interiors to the exteriors, while guiding customer behaviours by shifting views and texture,” the studio said.
      The fitting rooms at the centre of the shop are wrapped in canvas-like materialThe newly polished interior wall is wrapped in a material that resembles a mix of linen and leather and was created by mixing canvas, plush fabric and texture paint.
      The curved outline of the canvas-clad fitting rooms serves as the visual centrepiece of the space.
      Sinuous metallic clothing racks resemble sowing threadAccording to the studio, all finishing materials in the shop were sourced from the fashion brand’s leftover materials from its production line.
      FOG Architecture was founded by Zheng Yu and Zhan Di and has offices in London, Shanghai and Chongqing.
      Previously the studio has completed flagship stores for ToSummer in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Super Seed’s Hangzhou store featuring kinetic display.
      The photography is by INSPACE.
      Project credits:
      Design team: Zou Dejing, Huang Yingzi, Wang Shengqi, Zhunag Shaokai, Zheng Yu, Zhan DiLighting design: Liben Design, Zhang XuConstruction: Shanghai Guqin Construction Engineering Decoration Co., Ltd.Furnishing: Dongguan Lianwei Furniture Co., Ltd.Structure consultant: Tao Xinwei

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      Bottega Veneta channels Veneto design sensibilities at Sloane Street store

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      Fashion brand Bottega Veneta has opened a store on London’s Sloane Street that draws on materials, furniture and design techniques from Italy’s Veneto region.

      Located at the base of a nine-storey 1920s red brick apartment complex, the store sits behind a white-rendered frontage with doric column-style detailings.
      The store is located on Sloane StreetIt was opened as the first store to implement Matthieu Blazy’s vision for the brand and its physical retail locations, following his appointment as Bottega Veneta’s creative director in 2021.
      The interior was designed using materials, furniture and furnishings associated with the Veneto region where the brand was founded – the northeastern area of Italy that encompasses the land between the Dolomite Mountains and the Adriatic Sea and contains the city of Venice.
      It is the first store under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy”Bottega Veneta’s identity is not only reflected in the furniture, but throughout the space, creating its uniquely warm atmosphere,” Bottega Veneta said of the store.

      Upon entering the space, visitors are met by a largely open interior. This is zoned by four large, curved wooden volumes that were inserted at the centre of the store and introduce a loose symmetry to the division and organisation of the space.
      It was inspired by the Veneto regionThese wooden volumes are constructed from dark wood and have a multi-faceted design, incorporating protruding elements and geometric cut-outs that are fitted with shelving for use as display areas for the brand’s accessories and footwear.
      Beyond subtly zoning the ground floor of the store into three distinct areas, the wooden volumes also create a series of intimate spaces and rooms tucked behind, within and between each of their adjacent structures.

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      The floor of the store was blanketed in terrazzo, a material chosen for its ties to Venice, the brand said.
      The movement of water informed the design of the terrazzo, which has an oscillating look that was achieved through the use of four different stones – Bardiglio, Carrara, Verde Alpi, and Grigio Carnico.
      Terrazzo covers the floor of the storeLouvred veined stone panels framed in a brassy metal trim line the front and rear of the store and provide additional depth and colour to the interior.
      Where not used as decorative panelling, smaller brass-framed louvred panels are also used as mirrors that can be twisted and turned to reflect and face various parts of the store.
      Dark wood volumes divide the space in the storeWoven sofas and armchairs nod to the Intrecciato woven accessories and garments that the brand has become known for. The furniture pieces were constructed from leather in hues of green, brown and black and paired with a forest green rug.
      Sculpted wooden side tables and hard furnishings are scattered throughout the interior.
      Woven leather furniture is used throughoutA staircase, tucked to the side of the store, is clad in the same stone that covers the floors and lined in glass and brass to tie it in with the structural fixtures that can be found throughout the interior.
      At this year’s Milan design week, Bottega Veneta unveiled a collaboration with Italian designer Gaetano Pesce that saw him design his first-ever handbag.
      Prior to their collaboration on accessories, Pesce created a swirling resin set comprised of 400 custom chairs and a pooling multi-coloured floor for Bottega Veneta’s Spring Summer 2023 show.
      The photography is courtesy of Bottega Veneta.

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      Piles of green-hued books characterise London Aesop store

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      The interior of London’s most recent Aesop store in Marylebone was organised to reference a bookshop and features bespoke timber cabinetry by furniture designer Sebastian Cox.

      Skincare brand Aesop’s in-house design team created the concept for the Marylebone store, which recently relocated from its original home in the London neighbourhood to Marylebone High Street.
      The Marylebone store features piles of green booksThe team took “material references” from the British Library on Euston Road and attempted to emulate the layout of traditional bookshops by choosing warm timbers and towering piles of pale green books to decorate the interior.
      Divided into a main shop and an area for personal skin consultations, the L-shaped store features handmade cabinetry by Cox throughout.
      Olivier Cousy added frescos to the ceiling troughsThe shelving is defined by gently rounded edges, which Cox crafted from lime-washed oak and stained with linseed oil to enhance the timber’s warm appearance.

      He designed the cabinetry with flexible joinery that would allow the furniture to be disassembled and transferred elsewhere if needed.
      Sebastian Cox designed timber cabinetry throughout the interiorOversized rattan lampshades were also chosen for the main shop area, which displays uniform rows of Aesop products and includes large, metallic communal sinks built into the timber cabinetry.
      The store’s also features ceiling troughs with custom-made geometric frescos by artist Olivier Cousy.

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      Cousy was informed by Marylebone’s many green squares when painting the designs, which are geometric arrangements of autumnal colours – compositions that take cues from expressionist artist Paul Klee’s 1922 work Tower in Orange and Green.
      “Architecturally, our design method is to connect to the context of the locale, weaving ourselves into its fabric,” said Aesop chief customer officer Suzanne Santos.
      Wooden sinks characterise the skin consultation areaIn the skin consultation area, a sandy-hued, floor-to-ceiling curtain can be pulled to give customers privacy while geometric timber sinks were built into the space’s cabinetry.
      Known for its array of stores that pay homage to their individual locations, Aesop’s other outlets include a branch in London’s Piccadilly Arcade with marble fixtures that filmmaker Luca Guadagnino designed to reference the area’s jewellery boutiques, and a Cambridge store by British studio JamesPlumb with hemp and bulrush accents that nod to the nearby River Cam.
      The photography is by Alixe Lay. 

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      Plantea Estudio designs intentionally unfinished Veja store “to look like we didn’t do anything”

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      Raw finishes and brutalist interventions feature in footwear brand Veja’s first dedicated shop in Madrid, complete with an in-house shoe repair workshop and interiors designed by local firm Plantea Estudio.

      The retail space is housed in a building in the centre of Madrid, which has functioned as a shop, a restaurant and a bank office since its construction around the turn of the 20th century.
      Plantea Estudio has completed Veja’s Madrid storeBy the time Veja took on the space, it had been stripped back to a shell and the team at Plantea Estudio immediately saw the potential in the raw, rough interior.
      “That kind of brick structure brings you to the origins of architecture, to a temporal language,” the studio said. “It comes from always and goes forever, it will never be out of time or fashion.”
      “For us, there was no better option than to work from there, to leave it exposed.”

      Monolithic concrete blocks serve as displaysThe decision to work with the existing architecture rather than introducing unnecessary new materials also mirrors Veja’s idea of having in-house repair shop, encouraging customers to fix rather than simply replace their run-down trainers.
      However, the shell required much more active intervention from Plantea Estudio than the store’s unfinished interior suggests.
      The shop also houses a repair workshop”We had to work a lot for it to look like we didn’t do anything,” the studio said. “We brought the structure to its best version.”
      Plantea Estudio made the windows taller and brought the internal openings back up to their original height. The internal walls were cleaned up, exposing more of the brick and removing countless additions and coverings that remained from previous fitouts.
      Graphic strip lights are integrated into the ceilingWhere the materials were low-quality and couldn’t be removed, Plantea Estudio spray-coated the walls in a mix of plaster and Perlite mortar, “which accentuates the irregularity of the base”.
      The floor was coated uniformly with cement mortar, creating a continuous surface throughout the interior while providing a contrast with the chunky cobblestones laid in the entrance hall.

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      The building’s functional pipes and pinewood supports were left exposed while the ceilings are clad in roughly textured sound insulation and embedded with graphic rows of strip lighting.
      To form display areas, benches and counters, Plantea Estudio opted for stepped blocks of concrete – a favourite material of the brutalist movement – cast in situ using moulds made from old wooden boards.
      Vintage Joaquim Belsa armchairs were used to furnish the spaceAs a clear contrast to the heavy solidity of these pieces, the store’s shelving is made of folded sheets of white-lacquered steel.
      “The main collection is displayed on these steel shelves, illuminated by a light that’s brighter than the general light in the store,” the studio said.
      A ficus tree stands near the entranceThe space is accentuated by large-format mirrors, applied to the building’s brick pillars, where Plantea Estudio says they work at “multiplying the cross views”.
      A large ficus tree marks the entrance while furniture was sourced from vintage design retailer Fenix Originals and includes 1960s armchairs by Catalan designer Joaquim Belsa.
      Simple metal shelves provide additional storagePlantea Estudio, which was founded by brothers Luis and Lorenzo Gil in 2008, has completed a number of interior projects in the Spanish capital.
      Among them is the neutral-toned Hermosilla restaurant, as well as a bar serving wine and small plates, where a cosy red “cave” room is hidden behind the main dining space.
      The photography is by Salva López.

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      Snøhetta creates Holzweiler store informed by Norwegian coastline

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      Architecture studio Snøhetta has completed a shop for fashion and lifestyle brand Holzweiler in Chengdu, China, informed by its Norwegian heritage.

      Located in Taikoo Li mall in central Chengdu, the 130-square-metre store is Norwegian brand Holzweiler’s first outpost outside of Scandinavia.
      The exterior of the store is covered with LED screen”The store features recurring themes of currents, reflections and contrasts inspired by landscapes and coastal movements, a bespoke concept of the forces of norwegian nature playing on our shared heritage,” Snøhetta explained.
      “With the aim of transporting Holzweiler’s love and deep respect for its origins, there is an immediate and consistent reference to the natural world that harks to the brand’s home country.”
      The interiors nod to the Norwegian coastal linesThe exterior of the store features a full-size LED screen, which will be used to display campaigns that showcase that brand’s connection to nature.

      A glass wall framed with wavy lines divides the LED screen into two parts, revealing the store’s warm clay-toned interiors to visitors.
      The reflective surface of the ceiling resembles sky and oceanThe entrance of the store was crafted from floor-to-ceiling sand-blasted stone that extend to the product display area where mechanical arms present Holzweiler’s signature silk, lambswool and cashmere scarf designs.
      Wavy lines were widely adopted inside the store, as a nod to to the shorelines along Norway’s extensive coastline. A series of hanging lights were suspended from the reflective surface of the ceiling, which was clad in steel with a sandblasted finish.

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      The clothing racks made with the same steal material run along the curved wall, while the forms of the display tables placed in the centre of the space were designed to evoke coastal rock formations.
      Natural materials were used throughout the store, sourced locally from China. Meanwhile, all fixtures within the store were designed to be flexibly dissembled and repurposed in the future.
      A hero wall with mechanical arms is used to present Holzweiler’s signature productsThe point of sale area is tucked away at the back of the store separated from the main shopping area to provide privacy for customers.
      Snøhetta is a long-term collaborator of Holzweiler’s, having designed the company’s flagship store and showroom in Oslo, as well as its first international outpost in Copenhagen.
      The Studio has recently completed a planetarium in France, featuring two domes surrounded by sweeping wooden walls and a shingle-clad viewing tower in Austria.
      The photography is courtesy of Holzweiler.

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      Blobby sculpture functions as cash desk inside Rains’ Aarhus boutique

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      Rainwear brand Rains has juxtaposed minimalist restraint with free-form contemporary artworks inside its revamped flagship store in Aarhus, Denmark.

      The brand’s first-ever store, originally opened in 2016, was updated with the introduction of industrial touches such as graffiti and stainless steel hardware alongside custom works by local artists.
      “We want to tickle the customers’ curiosity,” Rains’ in-house design team told Dezeen.
      A blobby sculpture envelops the cash desk of this Rains storeAt the centre of the store, Danish artist Jacob Egebjerg played with the convention of the cash desk by creating a vast sculptural element to envelop this functional area.
      Carved from polystyrene foam, the sculpture resembles a cascade of liquid caught mid-splash, which tumbles from the recessed, illuminated ceiling down to the concrete floor in a nod to the brand’s waterproof rainwear.

      The sculpture was created by Danish artist Jacob Egebjerg”The store was the first Rains store ever and we really wanted to manifest that with an extraordinary installation,” the design team explained. “Egeberg was tasked with creating a work of art with an integrated desk that would attract the attention of passers-by.”
      “It brings a contrast to the clean shapes and surfaces of our point of sale,” the team added. “Our products are very clean, so to add contrasts to our stores, we use shapes and surfaces to create this duality.”
      It was carved from polystyrene foamAllowing Egebjerg’s sculpture to take centre stage, the rest of the store is an exercise in cool, restrained minimalism.
      Display cases are formed from industrial materials such as stainless steel and glass, chosen for its transparent qualities.
      “Your eye can see the full room and isn’t blocked by a non-see-through material,” the team explained. “The products are just floating in the room.”

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      Echoing the qualities of the glass and steel, the Rains team used large-format concrete tiles for the floor, creating a “modern, refined but still simple base for the sculpture”.
      Downstairs, in a rare concession to softness, the design team opted for a custom black carpet with a distressed patina effect – another nod to the industrial.
      “The carpet was chosen to give the white room a contrast and some more depth, while also providing some great acoustic benefits,” the design team explained. “The raw ‘scratchy’ print has been chosen to match the raw expression in the walls and ceiling.”
      Graffiti by Peter Birk covers the staircaseOn this level, a futuristic black display plinth was carved from the same polystyrene foam as the sculpture on the ground floor.
      Against a palette of greys and whites, colour leaps out in the form of another site-specific artwork: a graffiti-inspired piece that decorates the staircase, designed by Rains and realised by local artist Peter Birk.
      “When we work with external artists, we also let them express themselves so their personal style shines through,” the brand explained.
      Another styrofoam sculpture forms a display stand in the basementOther sculptural shop interiors featured on Dezeen include a swimwear pop-up by SKIMS with a three-tiered diving board at its heart and an “otherworldly” moss-covered installation at a luxury bag store in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
      The photography is by Rains.

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      Klein Dytham Architecture gives Fender’s first flagship store a welcoming feel

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      Klein Dytham Architecture has aimed to counter rock music snobbery with its design for guitar brand Fender’s Tokyo flagship store, which is meant to feel welcoming to people who might feel judged in other guitar stores.

      The Fender store sits across the bottom four floors of the glass-walled Ice Cubes building, a 12,000-square-metre space in the neighbourhood of Harajuku that was formerly home to an H&M store.
      It is the world’s first flagship store for the 77-year-old American brand, which is one of the most recognisable names in guitars and is particularly known for electric models like the Stratocaster.
      The Fender flagship store is located in Harajuku, TokyoFor the project, Fender asked Klein Dytham Architecture to create a space that would counter the perception of guitar stores as being intimidating, particularly for women and newer players.
      It hoped the store would offer a sophisticated and immersive retail experience that would encourage leisurely browsing and communicate the brand’s heritage.

      Klein Dytham Architecture answered the brief with a store design it sees as creating “a destination of discovery”, with gallery exhibits, an event space, a cafe and a “care bar” for repairs.
      The main browsing area on the first floor features display stands made of curved woodThe first floor houses the main browsing area, which features undulating wood benches and display units that are meant to echo the curves and materials of a Fender guitar. These contours are further mimicked in the lighting above.
      The area also has custom plectrum-shaped tables where staff can place guitars they have removed from the display to show customers. Clothing racks holding the F is for Fender streetwear collection sit among the guitars.
      The second floor, which was realised in a soft grey palette, is primarily an exhibition space called the Artists Gallery.
      The second floor is the main gallery spaceHere, large-scale photos and video shows famous musicians in action, each one alongside a transparent display case housing their Fender of choice.
      There are also displays dedicated to Japanese- and American-designed Fenders respectively, and a sound-proofed Amp Room where customers can test run guitars and amps.

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      On the darker and moodier third floor, another exhibition space — the Master Builders Gallery — focuses on the work of specific craftspeople, while two VIP rooms and a custom shop are furnished with comfortable couches and provide a setting for discussing bespoke builds.
      Also on this floor is a colourful display of 400 guitar finish samples that fills the length of one wall.
      The third floor includes the Fender custom shopThe final floor is the basement, which houses an event space, cafe and the Fender care bar, and where Klein Dytham Architecture endeavoured to create a cosier feel with a plectrum-shaped rug and benches.
      Tying the floors together is a spiral staircase with a hall-of-fame-style photo gallery on the interior, as well as a three-storey-high vertical LED display on the glass facade outside that will be used for Fender-related content.
      The basement includes an event space and a care bar”Conceived as a hub and clubhouse for all things Fender, this project takes the notion of a flagship store and experiential retail to beyond the next level,” Klein Dytham Architecture co-founder Mark Dytham told Dezeen.
      Dytham started the practice with fellow Royal College of Art graduate Astrid Klein in Tokyo in 1991. Some of their recent work includes the PokoPoko clubhouse for the Risonare Nasu hotel in rural Japan and a Cartier store with an intricate wooden facade in Osaka.
      Photography by Nacása & Partners.

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