COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS - Retail Facilities

The University of Melbourne’s official merchandise store is a little lion of a fitout that roars quite loudly despite its small footprint. The shop occupies the northern end of a wing of a nineteenth-century heritage building, and the designers have played with a series of contrasting elements in the base building ranging from historic leadlight windows, newly installed ...

The first floor is the fruit market, the second floor contains the offices, and the third and fourth floors consist of lounge areas for customers. During the early stages of design, contemplation about the gray concrete finish intrinsic to the building itself came first. There were concerns that the juxtaposed characteristics between fruit – which inevitably make one ex...

As architects we often hear of a project we’re interested in working on a long time before we have the chance to get involved – but 20 years is a little unusual. The idea of developing a major new public institution for Coffs Harbour – BVN principal Matthew Blair’s hometown – has been around since at least the 1980s. Indeed, it was the publicity for one such brief that ...

In a city like Dubai, filled with cafes, restaurants, and clubs, there is a lack of places that combine simplicity and quality while remaining accessible to everyone. Wayfarer provides such an opportunity, offering comfort and coziness for everything from business meetings to quiet relaxation. The name Wayfarer symbolizes that we are all people with different paths, ye...

Just walking into Making House, the building near London’s King’s Cross that has housed Heatherwick Studio since 2023, offers insight into the studio’s newly completed project: a 115,000 sq m retail development in Xi’an, the storied industrial metropolis of 12 million in central China. It also tells you much about the philosophy of 54-year-old founder Thomas Heatherwick....

Located in downtown Austin, Sixth and Guadalupe is 865 feet tall (264 metres) and has an ascending program of retail, office, and residential, with terraces and balconies dispersed at different points of the construction. The skyscraper has two glass-clad volumes, stacked, that sit atop an above-ground parking block clad in an illuminated, semi-transparent aluminium ski...

A unique blend of nostalgia, sophistication and a sense of adventure, the new July store at Chadstone Shopping Centre, designed by In Addition, is not just a place to shop but an immersive journey that transports customers into the world of travel. “In designing this space, the allure and sophistication of travel took centrestage. Every detail in the store is infused wi...

Heatherwick Studio unveils a rippled hourglass-shaped design for Hanwha Galleria, the famed shopping center in Seoul. The proposed design features two symmetrical crystalline buildings with illuminated atria and plant-filled rooftops. Their undulating glass facades create a soft, glistening effect during the day. This design emerged from a competition aimed at reimaginin...

Situated on a site that only four decades ago was densely forested, Solar Trees Marketplace is the first step in returning green to greater Shanghai and mitigating the effects of urban sprawl. From the outside, the tree-like building is a symbolic gateway to the expansive masterplan that prioritizes pedestrian activity, parkland, and nature in an increasingly urban envi...

Huawei, a prominent player in information and communications technology, has collaborated with UNStudio to unveil its new flagship store in Shanghai. The partnership focuses on delivering an immersive and customer-centric experience. Working closely with the Huawei Design team, UNStudio has conceived a unique concept that integrates people, nature, and technology, redefi...

We aim to embody the sense of power generated by the city's forward momentum and transform it into the architectural language: massive, powerful lines sweep from the city to the building, endowing the structure with a tremendous sense of strength. The reflective surfaces add a futuristic aspect to its appearance. Interconnections between urban, building, interior, and p...

Up There is a downstairs retail space that takes you elsewhere. As part of a major refresh of the Up There menswear brand, Kennedy Nolan was asked to design a new flagship store on Flinders Lane in Melbourne. The brand refresh provided inspiration for a vibrant palette, including Up There’s signature green applied as a grassy, carpeted foundation that defies the gloomy ...

Nestled in Myeong-dong, Seoul, the skin1004 flagship store by LMTLS stands out amid the crowded skincare scene with its textured rock design. Drawing inspiration from Madagascar’s pristine natural beauty, the store ditches the typical green motif for a warm palette of browns and beiges. Instead, the design team sought to combine elements like rocks, pebbles, and sand to ...

Vibrant hues and whimsical forms adorn the space, adding a distinct charm and evoking an atmosphere of lightheartedness. However, this playful ambiance isn't at the expense of sophistication. Masquespacio carefully selected materials like tainted natural wood, marble, and stainless steel for the design features, adding a refined touch to the space. The combination of the...

To enter the new Aesop store in the historic Georges building on Melbourne’s Collins Street is to be drawn into another, quieter world. This feeling is the outcome of a store design by Clare Cousins Architects that capitalizes on the building’s significant architectural heritage and its broader geographical location. The retreat-like space belies the complexity of the b...

The design is rich in passion and power, symbolizing the infusion of continuous energy into the free riders. The breakthrough in the context of block-type commerce lies in the open embrace of urban space, creating a favorable urban living experience. Simultaneously, the construction of the architectural image must strike a balance between artistry and mass appeal, allowi...

Designed by Coach NY together with local architect Spacemen, the plane’s design pays homage to the illustrious golden era of air travel in the 1970s, weaving in elements of retro-futurism for a one-of-a-kind experience. The aircraft houses four experiential cabins with design cues and a color palette that would look perfectly at home in a Wes Anderson movie set. Embarki...

Baranowitz & Goldberg Architects unveils its architecture and interior design work for concept fishmonger store Yama (derived from the Hebrew word ‘Yam’, which means ocean). Located in the southern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Florentin, Tthe new establishment, led by Israeli Chef Yuval Ben Neriah (Taizo, A), aims to to completely redefine its shopping experience, presenting...

Upon entering, you'll find that Hakken blends its coffee shop seating and shop area, both of which span across two floors. This approach to co-locating these distinct spaces on the same floor not only saves space but also creates a seamless flow between sipping on your favorite brew and browsing through an array of clothing and collectibles. The coffee shop takes up the...

Located in a sheltered open-air space at a corner off Orchard Road, among the shopping malls along one of the busiest shopping streets in Singapore, it is intended to be a quiet oasis within the hustle and bustle of the area. The idea for the timber pavilion came about primarily due to one of the challenges the site faces: the space allocated for the café only occupies ...

Sited not far from the Yangtze River and Hankou Beach in China, surrounded by camphor and French plane trees, the Wuhan Tiandi is a temporary market that exemplifies light architecture. From the river surface to the Xintiandi commercial street, the construction site happens to be on a node of significant change, from low to high. Responding to the existing conditions, l...

For the past two years, Kade Chandra, the co-founder of Noolstrala bakery, confidently established his own bakery with partner-slash-baker, Laura Hidayat. In 2023, Noolstrala the Cafe was launched with its brand vision to be the first credible Artisan Bakery in Gading Serpong that focuses on community building, innovative concepts, and quality products. Noolstrala is co...

A very light metal structure and a stressed clear ETFE membrane cover a central spine in which we place the stalls and a seating area on top. This spine is the market itself. The stalls display at each side of the spine at ground level while a seating area is provided just above it and under the tree canopies. The whole spine is built with translucent backlight material...

Fusing timeless Greek aesthetics and Mediterranean culture, heritage brand Nikos Athina has unveiled its new flagship store for the House of Sculpture on the island of Mykonos. The space is realized by Saint of Athens who driven by the aesthetics of classical art, have crafted a quarry-like boutique made of sculpted blocks of Dionysus marble — the same kind used to build...

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has reached a milestone with the completion of the two-tower design for the Sany IROOTECH Headquarters in Guangzhou, China. A renowned company in the construction equipment manufacturing industry, Sany commissioned SOM to design a headquarters for its Rootcloud technology group, symbolizing its commitment to growth and innovation. The com...

Foolscap Studio worked closely with the jeweller to develop the interior design, which has been inspired by the expressive, architectural style of Katsalidis’s creations. Jewel-like in size, the store features a calm, natural material palette and playful displays. “Each material has its own properties and past stories bound together in one space, to tell a new story,” ...

The new stores are the base for Stone Island’s community. Altar-like spaces and objects resonate with the rituals of the followers and appeal to new customers. Niches for archive pieces and prototypes – results of years of experimentation in Stone Island’s lab in Ravarino – and dedicated rooms for collaboration and processes highlight the brand’s dedication to innovation...

The streamlined structure of the core pillar standing proud like a pagoda, upholding pergola-like floor slabs clad in a brushed metal with a cloudy finish blending into the sky. From below the tower stands firm with fierce calligraphy, the optically slanted shape of black ceilings gracefully ending in curved and concaved corners, slicing to free spatial opportunities a...

Klein Dytham architecture has undertaken the design of Fender’s inaugural flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo, marking the American brand’s 77-year legacy of pioneering electric guitar design. Located in the vibrant street-style shopping mecca, the store aims to provide ‘a destination of discovery’, introducing a chic and inviting guitar-shopping environment enjoyable for ...

From the street it’s already possible to experience the main building, suspended above the Zeepark and connected by a footbridge to the sidewalk. On the first floor we found a dark room, exclusively for Pets products. The dark finishes and focal lighting bring emphasis to the colourful and patterned products, worthy of a temple. For the launch of their new product line...

The architectural approach is to pull back the main building and at the same time integrate it with the ‘Mirror in the Sky’ sculpture. The designers have integrated the architecture and interior design to create an immersive brand experience from a distance to up close, from the brand impressions on the first floor to the life scenarios, experiences and product showcases...

Featuring the "Home of Sport" concept, adidas has opened its first Asia Pacific flagship store in the unique and bustling shopping district Myeongdong, a must-visit spot in South Korea. Various Associates, the only Chinese design firm that participated in the flagship design, partnered with adidas to extract local Korean elements and blend them with adidas brand personal...

Through researching the brand's products and content on social media, we discovered a preference for a rugged aesthetic that is present not only in the clothing but also in the choice of locations for photoshoots. We used available finishing materials to embody this aesthetic in the space. Rough textures on the walls resembling concrete and quartz vinyl tiles with a conc...

The showroom takes on the name “Gallery”, drawing inspiration from the pure and minimalist aesthetic impression of an art gallery. The designers utilize clean and impactful materials to highlight the product design philosophy. The uniform overhead lighting enhances the spatial ambiance of the showroom.Within this expansive showroom, designed to accommodate all models, co...

LJL Architects and 2K1 Architecture collaborate on the construction of Millac The Market, located on the eastern side of Gwangalli Beach in Busan, South Korea. The site has undergone extensive urbanization since the inception of the reclamation project in the 1980s. Initially remaining as an empty lot following landfilling, the structure stands amidst towering high-rises...

Located in Barcelona, a newly opened Miners Café has been completed by interior designer Isern Serra. This specialty coffee shop, originally established in Prague in 2019, has now expanded its operations to Spain, starting with its first spot in Barcelona. In collaboration with Isern Serra, the goal was to transform an empty space in the heart of El Poblenou into a uniqu...