Barber and Osgerby's architecture arm has designed two pop-up shops for the launch of Seek No Further, a new label from sportswear manufacturer Fruit of the Loom (+ slideshow).
Universal Design Studio has transformed a small gallery space on Redchurch Street in London and another space in Berlin’s Mitte district.
In London, the studio was faced with an unusual long and narrow 21 square metre space. An illusion of double depth was created with a mirrored back wall.
A single 6.5-metre-long rail suspended from the ceiling showcases the Seek No Further capsule collection created by Dorothée Loermann, former creative director of womenswear for Parisian fashion label Surface to Air.
In Berlin, the original 60-square-metre gallery space has been retained as a raw backdrop for a series of geometric shapes and plinths, some coated in soft pink silicone or royal blue flock as well as display blocks of yellow cast glass wax. These objects can be rearranged to transform the space for various events that will take place in the store.
"The brief from Dorothée Loermann was to create an effortless and fun environment with a particular focus on a tactile experience," said Alexey Kostikov, senior designer at Universal Design Studio.
"Dorothée challenged us to put together an unconventional material palette using the materials that are not typically associated with retail interiors. We approached a small local mould-making workshop and went through a series of experiments with various materials and techniques. The design development evolved around those experiments."
Both of the pop up stores will be open for four months.
Here's some information from the designers:
The Stores – Berlin and London
The capsule collection will be available at the Seek No Further pop-up stores in London and Berlin from March 2014.
Universal Design Studio has transformed a gallery space in London’s Shoreditch and Berlin’s Mitte district into two pop-up stores for the launch of Seek No Further. With an emphasis on the process of making and reflecting the brand’s innovative approach to materiality and detail, the stores’ key message is simplicity.
Collaborating with artisans and art technicians, Universal have experimented with unconventional materials like glass wax, flock coating, cast concrete and silicone to create the handcrafted sculptural display pieces. In London, the capsule collection is displayed on a single 6,5m long rail suspended from the ceiling, set against the raw concrete wall.The long and narrow space of the gallery is further emphasised by the mirror-clad back wall, creating an illusion of double-depth.
In Berlin, set within the raw shell of the gallery, solid, bold geometric shapes form a varied landscape. In both stores, an understated monochrome palette is juxtaposed with royal blue flock coating, translucent yellow display blocks of cast glass wax and sculptural objects coated in soft pink silicone.
