DECONSTRUCTING THE FUNCTION OF
SPACE AND MATERIALS.

This project was a follow-up to the initial Amanojak pop-up store assignment. The company’s creative team sought a design that represented a transition in their fashion selection from a more classic and elegant style to a more contemporary, youthful one. Contrast and irony were key concepts they aspired to convey, and this was achieved in physical terms by rethinking the standard notions of spatial limitations and material functionality.

DELIMITATION’S DEMISE

The traditional function of walls is to segregate one space from another, a means of delimiting and enclosing spatial boundaries. Demising walls were erected in unorthodox locations to challenge this assumption while also maintaining a similar function as a partition. The company’s unique, custom banner was anchored to one such wall to accentuate their new ambitious and playful approach.

AN UNFINISHED CONSTRUCT

A common motif permeating the store’s interior is the use of common metal studs and runners used in unconventional modalities. The use of this material is perhaps most prominent in the custom-built hanging racks on which many of the store’s fashion items are displayed. They appear almost as an unfinished wall-frame, though our idea of this routine construction material is altered when their intended function is transformed.

REFASHIONED FUNCTION ON DISPLAY

A fresh, signature feature of the store’s new design is the use of custom-designed display “containers.” They are made entirely from metal construction studs. Each one functions as a unique installation featuring the store’s highlighted merchandise. The containers are capped by a layer of stark white pebbles on top of which every selected fashion item on display is served on its own unique “platter” adapted from various materials (glass, metal, fabric, etc.), like exquisite cuisine in a boutique eatery.

THE HIGHLY CONCEPTUALIZED,
SIMPLIFIED

The spirit and concept of the store’s design is innovative and unorthodox, but without overstatement. The simplicity of the materials used (primarily, simple metal construction materials) matches that of the shop’s monotone scheme, allowing customers to browse store merchandise without distraction. Though ambitious, the design concept remains in the background, with the displayed items alone taking the spotlight.