Body shop: new retail spaces

Scritto da Peter Smisek
06.05.20

It’s undeniable that the online retail environment offers a multitude of advantages to consumers, particularly in the current climate. However, thoughtful and engaging design will always hold power to attract consumers out of internet stores and into physical ones – if the proposition is right.

Back to Black: Architecture studio WGNB utilised fashion brand Juun.J 's signature colour for their flagship store in Seoul. Photo: Yongjoon Choi

In times of online shopping, designers and architects increasingly look to engage the customers’ senses and create a bespoke spatial experience when designing new retail spaces. Colour, form, spatial experience and a playful response to context and engagement with brand values have become more important than ever in new retail architecture.

David Adjaye's design for The Webster created a memorable retail experience, beginning with an eye-catching exterior, guiding customers into a dream-like interior. Photos: Laurian Ghinitoiu (top, middle) and Dror Baldinger (bottom)

In Los Angeles, David Adjaye's firm Adjaye Associates designed a new flagship store for The Webster with these points in mind. The high-end clothing shop is inserted into a corner of a larger retail complex and features a pink-concrete facade and a substantial curving cantilever above the entrance, drawing customers in. The pink concrete finish continues inside, with curving benches, display platforms and counters cast in-situ, giving the space a monolithic, cave-like appearance.

Juun.J's flagship store designed by WGNB reflects the brand's edgy ethos, while creating a bespoke, comfortable retail experience by adding a dedicated hospitality space. Photos: Yongjoon Choi

Seoul-based architecture studio WGNB's Juun.J flagship store in the South Korean capital makes use of the fashion brand's signature colour – black. The building comprises elemental shapes – a triangle and a square – while inside, the dramatic monochromatic retail space is complemented by a top-lit café overlooking an internal courtyard.

Wutopia Lab's Hubei Foreign Language Bookshop demonstrates that existing retail spaces can be refurbished to create an attractive, contemporary shopping experience. Photos: CreatAR Images

Existing retail spaces can be renovated to stand out and attract new customers. In Wuhan, Hubei Foreign Language Bookshop celebrated its 40th anniversary with a complete refurbishment, courtesy of Wutopia Lab. The architects have created a brand-new, multi-layered facade composed of triangular elements. Coupled with a light blue and white gradient, the elevation recalls far-away lands and foreign literature. Inside, a shard-like triangular light-well creates a central focus and brings light into the building.

Kengo Kuma & Associates' Amanpuri Retail Pavilion is inspired by traditional architecture, but its bold roofline, open plan and light-filled interiors create an informal retail environment. Photos: Courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates

In Thailand, Kengo Kuma & Associates designed the Amanpuri Retail Pavilion. Set within Aman's renowned Phuket resort, the retail space offers guests high-end swimwear and activewear, as well as products from local designers and craftspeople. The design is inspired by traditional Thai architecture and features a series of pitched roofs arranged on a single axis. Inside, the lofty open-plan space creates an informal and relaxed atmosphere, while allowing for future flexibility.