fashion and architecture are strongly linked in our modern society. top fashion designers appeal to top designers and top architects; prada's new rem koolhaas-designed store in soho is but just one example. customers are, after all, more and more being guided by visual stimuli. subsequently, we increasingly associate brands with the design and architecture of their surroundings.
inspired by the publication of 'london minimum', herbert ypma's survey of an emerging trend in the capital's interiors, the american owner of a chain of clothing shops in mexico city came to london, searching for a new modernist aesthetic for the comprehensive re-branding of his corporate image.
the shopping attitude in mexico is different, far removed from the approach to a store in london or paris. this is caused by various factors, notably safety: the country's high crime statistics cause shops to group into shopping centres, quite unlike the traditional shopping street. this building type brings limitations, but making something magnificent within such limitations is where the art comes in.
without any previous experience of fashion retail mark guard architects designed several complete retail environments for aca. the first step was to reduce the standard aca joe shop to a few simple elements; a long, wenge wood table, a poured concrete floor, independently lit wall shelving, recessed wall hanging, a number of free-standing metal shelving units and one large photographic image. the result is a very clear and open store, accessible for a large public, drawn in by the shop or the clothes.
by minimising the amount of furniture, reducing walls to flat planes and emphasing light, not colour, the shops are given a very pure appearance. the austere outline merges with the presentation of the clothes and in this way everything seems to become one. visually, the attention is drew to an enormous photograph that is dominant in the room.
a stainless steel grid inset into the poured concrete floor provides the geometry, framing the composition of the main elements. the components can be rearranged within each differently-sized units in order to provide a consistency of appearance, while maximising the amount of available space.
free-standing rotating metal units were also developed, allowing the appearance fo the shop to be changed from a 'clean' aesthetic to a 'busy' aesthetic necessary for sales or promotions. likewise, the wenge wood table can either be kept clean or function as an additional space for clothing display when required.
plaster walls and ceiling are painted white and the back wall of the shop unit is clad in etched mirror glass. the wood table, raw concrete floor and metal boxes all provide a tough, almost utilitarian, aesthetic which contrasts with the clothing on display. the reconstruction of the shops is being undertaken in collaboration with the mexican architect luis de regil.
mark guard architects
161 whitfield street,
london w1t 5et
uk
t: 44 (0)20 7380 1199
f: 44 (0)20 7387 5441 |
