This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the SBID Award winning project for Retail Design with leading fit-out specialist, Portview, after completing the retail design for the biggest Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics store in the world. Situated in the heart of Liverpool, Lush Liverpool opened its doors after a nine-month transformation into the biggest Lush in the world. Five times bigger than the previous store and spread over three customer-facing floors, the new Lush Liverpool boasts 1,380 sq m of retail space that’s big enough to fit over 9 million of its famous bath bombs. The characterful scheme created by Lush’s in-house Design team with international architecture firm, Hyphen, was executed by Portview with an emphasis on enhancing the building’s original features to achieve a look inspired by the character of traditional departments stores and be both sustainable and synonymous with the cosmetic brand.
SBID Awards: Retail Design winner sponsored by BloomsArt
Company: Portview Fit-Out
Project: Lush Liverpool
Project Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom
What was the client’s brief?
The brief was to marry the old with the new by creating a space that was reminiscent of a traditional department store, whilst incorporating new materials and services that have never been seen before in a retail setting.
There was a huge focus on using sustainable materials such as reclaimed FSC certified timbers, brick, and cradle to cradle silver tiles to keep our carbon footprint down to a minimum. We also introduced cherry wood style panelling to give the space a sense of warmth and sophistication, with the fresh, citrus colours of the 300 new products on display giving it a modern twist. The carefully crafted, contrasting textures of new and old furnishings help to add visual weight to the space and create an overall feeling of wholesomeness.
The goal was to create a destination store that brings more innovation and creative personal experiences than ever before to the high street.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
The design was inspired by a photograph of an old section of a department store, similar to that of Lush’s building in Church Alley.
We worked closely with Lush’s in-house design team and international architecture firm, Hyphen, to execute a characterful scheme that enhanced the building’s original features by playing on the character and charm of traditional department stores, whilst staying true to Lush’s strong environmental ethos.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Paradoxically, when working with old, historic buildings you will always be faced with new challenges. In this case, we had to install two new lifts, refurbish the existing 1920s-style staircase and replace the whole of the ground floor level façade – all within a tight programme. The central stairway was added late in the project and was our most challenging task, involving an oak over-clad of the existing old stone, with relining of the open string and soffit, along with a new steel balustrade complete with curved cherry timber handrails. The stairwell also required secondary fire glazing of the existing windows, with bespoke moulded architrave details scribed from original profiles on site. The whole stairwell needed to be lined and fitted with period doors and cherry wall panelling to the lower level.
Overall, there was a huge amount of construction before the fit-out could even commence, including the manufacturing of columns clad in Portland stone to enhance the 60m long, anodised bronze shopfront. This required very detailed surveys of the existing stripped façade to allow us to draw and schedule with complete accuracy the Portland stone, granite, structural steel and shopfront glazing system, so all could be produced in parallel and fit together without a hitch.
Another challenge was executing the design of all the individual service areas – such as the spa, hair lab, florist, perfumery and shop floor – under the one roof, without it looking disjointed or disturbing the natural flow of the overall space. The design was continuously evolving with various teams working on each area, so a holistic approach to communication and client engagement was absolutely key in ensuring everything came together in a cohesive and collaborative way.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
We worked in close collaboration with both the client team and Hyphen to ensure that Lush’s high environmental standards were upheld at each stage of the process, from the sustainable design choices through to the responsible sourcing, restoring and repurposing of recycled materials to help reduce our environmental impact and this has been both hugely rewarding and enlightening.
This has been one of our most iconic retail projects to date and it’s a proud moment for us to see it come to life.
Questions answered by Simon Campbell, Managing Director of Portview Fit-Out
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring the SBID Award winners for KBB Design with a fusion of Oriental and commercial modernity for a contemporary New Zealand home, click here to see more.
We hope you feel inspired by this week’s Retail design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
SBID Awards 2019 | Retail Design Winner sponsored by BloomsArt
This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the flagship store for retail brand, The Fold. British womenswear label The Fold asked Kinnersley Kent Design to create its first ever flagship store. Based on the idea of a private members’ club, the stylish, hardworking concept turns the traditional idea of the store on its head. Like The Fold’s clothes, the flagship is designed to take the customer from 9am to 9pm. By day, it acts as a showroom, store and VIP consultation space. By night, it transforms into an events venue, hosting The Fold’s regular networking events for its diverse customer base of professional women.
Company: Kinnersley Kent Design
Project: The Fold
Project Location: London, United Kingdom
Kinnersley Kent Design were approached by Founder and CEO of The Fold, Polly McMaster, to design a first flagship retail store who could translate the company’s aesthetic and brand ethos into a physical space. Housed in a beautiful Grade II listed building the design needed to be respectful and relevant to the building’s historic features, enhancing rather than competing with them. Initially sold online only the flagship marked a key milestone for the brand and it was important to introduce a new customer to the brand whilst catering to the existing Fold Woman.
We believe that retail is no longer about creating something static. It is about designing flexible spaces that change throughout the day, and that grow and evolve with a brand. The concept we designed for The Fold was based on the idea of a members’ club, turning the idea of a traditional ‘store’ on its head. From the outset, the flagship needed to be dual functional – serving as a relaxed shopping space by day and transforming into an events space in the evening where the brand can hold networking or press events. In essence, the flagship store we designed does what the clothes do – takes the customer from 9am to 9pm.
We also chose materials that reflect the brand’s attention to detail and its tailored, quality fabrics. The interiors palette is graphic and quite masculine, with a monochromatic base that reflects The Fold’s work wear roots, juxtaposed with an eclectic and slightly unexpected tactile mix of materials. The herringbone pattern flooring is reminiscent of heritage fabrics, while brass highlights add a glamorous touch that’s suggestive of clothing details such as brass zips and fastenings.
It is never a straightforward process when designing in listed buildings due to the restrictions imposed, however at the same time we were also very conscious of allowing the beautiful historic features shine through in our scheme. This, paired with the fact that we wanted the space to be multi-functional and serve as a meeting and event space as well as a retail store, led us to design a concept with modular fittings and fixtures. By day, the central bar, equipped with oversized iPads and power sockets, provides clients with a comfortable space to catch up on emails, or simply grab a water or coffee. Come evening, the bar can be transformed to hold drinks and canapés during The Fold’s networking events.
From the outset, our strategy was to create an ownable three-dimensional design language and philosophy – one that can be articulated differently to suit the architecture of individual buildings, locations, and market nuances as the brand evolves and grows.
The Fold flagship was a fantastic project for us to work on as it was a true collaboration between our team and the client. The highlight, however, has been the wonderful feedback we’ve received from Polly and her customers as they have gone on to enjoy the space. Multiple networking events have been hosted since the launch (on International Women’s Day 8th March 2018) and, proving that the flagship is more than just a showroom, sales doubled in the first two full months of trading.
Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards?
The SBID Awards are understood to celebrate some of the best international work in our industry and it is an honour for us at Kinnersley Kent Design to be recognised amongst the industry leaders who inspire us.
Questions answered by Jill Higgins, Partner of Kinnersley Kent Design
If you missed last week’s Project of the Week featuring the refurbishment of a historic hotel to enhance the unique character of the building, click here to see more.
We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
Kinnersley Kent Design | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the prodigious and monumentally ambitious project of introducing the Robinsons department store to one of the most alluring cities of the Middle East and distinguished shopping destinations of the United Arab Emirates.
Iconic Singapore department store Robinsons made its debut in the Middle East in Spring 2017 with the launch of a spectacular 200,000 square foot store at Dubai Festival City —the first of a collection of stores to follow in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). HMKM drew inspiration from Robinsons’ roots — in particular, from Singapore’s lush terrain and contemporary architecture. That dynamic runs through every aspect of the design, starting with dramatic facades which blend vertical gardens by renowned French botanist Patrick Blanc, animated screens and interlacing lines of timber and polished brass. Built around a series of spectacular hero experiences, the store’s design creates a distinctive new identity for Robinsons in the Middle East, celebrating its rich Singaporean heritage while looking firmly to the future.
Company: HMKM
Project: Robinsons
Project Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
To create a store of inspirations! The aim was to build the largest department store in the region, at 200,000 sqft. with 600 local, regional and international brands. The first of a collection of stores to follow in the GCC. Robinsons was to offer three magnificent floors of contemporary and designer fashion, food, art and culture experiences. From 90 exclusive brands to a number of multi-tiered premium services, guests will delight in an immersive journey making each visit more enchanting than the last. Almost 160 years after it was first established, iconic Singapore department store Robinsons will arrive in the Middle East with the launch of a spectacular store of inspiration at Dubai Festival City.
What inspired the design of the project?
HMKM’s vision draws its inspiration from Robinsons’ roots — in particular, from Singapore’s blend of green landscapes and edgy contemporary architecture — to produce a scheme founded on the notion of a future landscape. That dynamic runs through every aspect of the design, starting with a series of dramatic external and internal facades which blend large-scale animated screens with sinuous, interlacing lines of timber, bronze anodised aluminium and polished brass, alongside the large-scale vertical garden walls and columns by world renowned visionary botanist designer, Patrick Blanc. Throughout the interior, contemporary forms and digital elements are balanced with warm materials and lush planting.
How do you create a 200,000 sqft new department store in a unique and inspiring way? The answer was to employ a boutique design approach to the whole store design providing bespoke backdrops to the 600 brands, 90 of which are exclusive to Robinsons and including the first John Lewis to the region. A rich palette of materials and craftsmanship were employed throughout the store. For example in Menswear, the department is centred on a central pavilion defined by a slatted oak ceiling raft and fleshed out with herringbone leather panelled walls, end-grain oak flooring, warm lacquers and dark metal frames. In Beauty, the department presents a studio-style make-up zone framed in shimmering metal, centred under a bespoke geometric light installation and floored in honed Palissandro Classico and Kalliston marbles. Fragrance gets a softer feel, with rich marble and brass textures, soft Deco chandeliers and plush seating. In designing and planning the store, significant areas are dedicated to exceptional customer service including specialist tailoring suites for male and female local dress; bespoke printing, a cobbler, and personal shopping.
Realising the Boutique design to each of the category departments within a store of this size. Built around a series of spectacular hero experiences, its design creates an immediate, distinctive new identity for Robinsons within the Middle East, reflecting and celebrating its rich Singaporean heritage whilst looking ahead firmly to the future.
We are exceptionally proud to have been part of this well executed Robinsons store in the Middle East. The SBID awards, in particular the retail category, reflects the quality and prestige befitting this project.
Questions answered by Paul Digby, Creative Director at HMKM.
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If you missed last week’s Project of the Week with Portview Fit-Out for Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, click here to see more
Entries to the SBID Awards 2017 are now closed. To find out more about booking a table, click here
HMKM | SBID International Design Awards 2017
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