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Architects: Spacon & X
- Area: 210 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Spacon & X
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Manufacturers: Kvadrat
Text description provided by the architects. Not only did Spacon & X develop a physical retail environment for a boundary-pushing experience for MATE but also transcended into a digital space where they were released from the limitations of physics. Integrating a virtual experience in space enables the customers to see deeper into the imaginative universe they have developed alongside MATE.
In this case, the use of a 180-degree panoramic screen makes it possible to mount a physical MATE bike while exploring a virtual glimpse of our imagination. Customers can travel through an array of virtual worlds ranging from serene snowy mountains through underwater ruins, burning cityscapes, and into the stratosphere, departing the retail environment altogether to embark on a psychedelic trip.
“We see a shift in brands and consumers’ expectations of the physical retail space. Instead of having the main focus on shelf space and sales per square meter, the focus is now more on setting the stage for the brands and rewarding the visitors with a physical experience to remember. The MATE Flagship Store is no exception to this development - Here you can try a mate bike within abstract digital architectural settings. You are also able to enter the assembly space to participate in customizing your own bike and experience artist residencies.” -Svend Jacob Pedersen, Designer and Co-founder of Spacon & X.
At Landemærket 29, you are met at the intersection between a shop as well as a multi-sensory experience, that is realized by the crisp line that divides the space. The white space to the right is the designated retail space. Heavy lit with the reflective steel floor that highlights the bikes and the products. Spacon & X have built custom-made modular shelving systems that flow throughout the space. With its flexibility, they are able to create a cohesive space throughout by allowing the system to inhabit both walls and ceilings.
As a total contrast to the retail zone, in the black space, we are met with a world of hot flavors. A Mars-like rock formation for exhibition lies between hard walls, softened with curtains and outlandish flowers. Cacti and ever-changing neon tubes transform the space into something magical. Spacon & X have constructed furniture in stainless steel, designed within the principles of Scandinavian tradition while being liberated from the convention.
The stools that surround the simulator and the bar disk, blend seamlessly into the space through clean simple forms that subtly reflect the ambient light, colors, and bikes. Finally, the backspace or the assembly zone functions as a collaborative space. A rather hard but playful space. It invites exploration of the imagination with its honest yet powerful design. Backlit with polycarbonate and neon tubes, this space could also function as a nightclub. A gold and silver metallic curtain in the corner fractures light into small funky universes and disrupts the space. It's unapologetically Scandinavian 2.0. Innovation meets tradition.
