Saturday 7 September 2013

Bread & Butter Berlin 2012 Summer – RELISH

I posted previously about a retail shop that had great plant feature wall concept, which I haven't seen before in retail until space until now. I like the concept of bringing nature into retail if there is a good reason behind it however,this shop has gone way over the top. With whole walls covered with fake plants and grass flooring.
Having nearly whole shop covered in fake plants just makes the shop seem cheap and tacky.



Not only the walls are tacky but the fixtures seem boring and dull. The clothing rails look more like they belong in the stock room rather on the shop floor.

At least I can give thumbs up to the exterior of the shop, which draws attention. However when I still look at the exterior it just makes me think it's more of a restaurant or a flower shop rather than a retail space.

Mistral wine and champagne bar by Studio Arthur Casas and Sao Paulo

A new wine and champagne bar called Mistral. The space was long, hollow, and had high ceilings. Casas built out the shop and used it’s length to his advantage. The architect designed a long hallway, where the walls are angled and lined with a high gloss white plastic, black mirror, and vertical slats of raw wood. Wine bottles are held in the wall by cut out holes, just big enough for the bottle shaft.
With each label facing upward, Mistral’s store guests can walk through the shop and easily view the products. The long hallway leads into the bar area, where the wall materials from the wine display area continue. The space is modern, yet warm and approachable; making it a great spot to grab some friends and enjoy a wine tasting.






Replay Store by Vertical Garden Design, Florence

 
Browsing for inspiration for my uni project I came across this retail shop. I have seen this kind of concept before of green plant wall in restaurants however I haven't seen anything like this in retail shops, which seems pretty cool.
The project at the new Replay concept store in Florence was completed in spring 2009. The vertical garden is a part of an ecological theme developed by the architects. It covers a 7m high L-shaped wall in the 3-storey boutique.

The garden is inspired by the undergrowth of a temperate forest, similar to what could be found in the lower parts of the hills not too far away from the city of Florence. Although as with any indoor garden, the plants themselves are of mostly of tropical origin to do well in the indoor climate. The overall picture is a soft, yet dense and fresh greenery.



Friday 6 September 2013

Wicker Hives at the New Hermes Paris







Looking like huge nests made out of lathe, the new interior of the Hermes boutique in Paris looks warm and inviting. Envisioned by the design house Rena Dumas architect, there are three large organic structures rise from the floor creating implied rooms to house Hermes products.