Retail stores are places that need to transport us to another universe. We need to have our senses stimulated and our instincts fired for a truly convincing experience.
Architecture is a fundamental part of this seduction, being able to use artifacts such as colors, materials, lighting and volumes to awaken the most varied feelings in customers. Commercial architecture, in addition to all the technical elements, needs to reach the public from the facade to its interior, always remaining faithful to the brand's concepts and identities. In this article we have selected some examples of commerce facilities that stimulate customers in different ways.
Whether on the street or inside malls, the storefront is the first element to communicate with the customer. It is from there that the experience begins. Architecture may opt for a cleaner and more minimalist strategy, as T-HOUSE New Balance Store / Schemata Architects + ondesign Partners, Mula Preta Store / EMA - Escritório Metropolitano de Arquitetura, which use a large blind plan with a single color on the facade to create a certain mystery in the approach to the customer. Another strategy is to create an element of interest, such as Desinchá Concept Store / Superlimão store, which features elements activated by the wind on the facade, seeking interaction and movement. Dolce & Gabbana Store Seoul / Ateliers Jean Nouvel seeks to attract its customers by revealing its interior through a large glass staircase that also works as a window.
T-HOUSE New Balance Store / Schemata Architects + ondesign Partners
Mula Preta Store / EMA - Escritório Metropolitano de Arquitetura
Desinchá Concept Store / Superlimão
Dolce & Gabbana Store Seoul / Ateliers Jean Nouvel
As from the facade’s approximation, the interior reveals the experience that the customer will find there. Some brands opt for a simple, easy-to-read interior, such as Portugal Vineyards Concept Store / Porto Architects, which uses white and ample and free space to highlight the products. On the other hand, Flagship Zissou / Estudio Guto Requena uses texture with highlighted volumes and intense colors to create a multisensory experience for a mattress store. Another possibility, using colors, is to opt for monochromatic furniture, as in Banema Store / Campos Costa Arquitetos. Já a Haight Clothing Store / Entre Terras + Pablo Resende uses neutral tones and earthy materials to create a backdrop for their objects.
Portugal Vineyards Concept Store / Porto Architects
Flagship Zissou / Estudio Guto Requena
Banema Store / Campos Costa Arquitetos
Haight Clothing Store / Entre Terras + Pablo Resende
Some stores opt for a more radical language in their interior spaces, mixing materials and creating visually appealing spaces, such as Geijoeng Concept Store / Studio 10, which works with different textures and visibilities, keeping the same tone throughout the interior. forte_forte Store Roma / forte_forte, on the other hand, establishes stone and gold as strong and prevailing elements in the interior. Mon Parnasse Flower Shop / Canobardin created an inner landscape that surprises everyone with the help of lighting and mirrors, while Zak Ik Store / Roth-Architecture also created a scenario with natural and earthy materials.
Geijoeng Concept Store / Studio 10
forte_forte Store Roma / forte_forte
Mon Parnasse Flower Shop / Canobardin
Zak Ik Store / Roth-Architecture
Whether on the facade or inside, surprising elements and environments that interact with all our senses are essential in retail stores, not only to encourage consumption and understanding of the brand, but also to make that experience fun and pleasant for the consumer.
