Shop, Amsterdam
Retail texture
AMSTERDAM (NL) - Cornelis Schuytstraat, in Amsterdam, is well known for its exclusive and stylish boutiques. Elegant, early 20th-century shop fronts are an enticement to shop which, although commercially advantageous, does have its drawbacks, for how do you make a store stand out in this abundance of distinction and chic. The newest store of the Stills fashion label, its first flagship store in the Netherlands, certainly stands out, but perhaps it is a bit too conceptual for the merchandise.
Doepel Strijkers Architects inserted a three-dimensional grid of narrow wooden beams, intended to represent an enlarged fabric weave, inside the shell of the existing building. The main source of inspiration was Stills' clothing collections, in which natural fabrics and refined textures play a key role. The open grid, which connects the two floors of the building visually, provides light and airiness, and through it one can see the various finishing layers that have formed the building's shell over the course of time.
This revelation of the building's own texture fits in well with the discerning, authentic image the label aspires to. And the endless variations in presentation possibilities make the store really special. Fitting rooms, lighting and display cases are all integrated into the wooden grid. Sheets of glass can be placed on any of the wooden beams to create ad hoc display cases. However, the functionality of some aspects of this design is somewhat dubious. The three fitting rooms have no hooks, for example. Clothes are supposed to be hung from the wooden ceiling beams, but the space for doing so is limited. Though not always practical, this conceptually well-thought-out store design is undeniably attractive, reflecting a fresh take on retail design.
Stills Flagship Store, 2011
Architect: Doepel Strijkers Architects
Client: Veldhovengroup BV, Stills
Address: Cornelis Schuytstraat 16, Amsterdam
Objects, Shopping |
Kim Hoefnagels
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