PERIOD DETAILS + LIGHT + INTERCHANGEABLE
Article was recently featured in Vogue’s guide to Dublin- 10 things not to miss & when you speak with the owner John Adams it’s not hard to see why. He speaks of curating the space, this isn’t just a shop, it has the feeling of a designer collection but one that is accessible, open & tangible.
From our very first client meeting we were very aware of the existing beauty of this store. Set in the amazing Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin’s city centre, this store already boasted stunning period details with a beautiful scale. Effectively we were dressing a super model!
That fact in itself however was the challenge with this project. How do we pay respect to the existing envelope while addressing the issues & challenges that go along with retailing within a protected structure? Lighting was a major issue, particularly to mid floor areas & adding additional fixtures to ceilings or walls was not permitted.
Separate to the architectural limitations, the client had an urgent need for much more fluid interchangeable space. The new shop-fit & joinery needed to move with the seasons & offer multiple display & merchandising opportunities. This is a high end home ware store, with limited storage so majority of stock needs to be accommodated on the shop floor either on display or within shop floor joinery.
So what did we do? We created an independent structure within a structure. This allowed us to explore all avenues for display. The new frame is constructed from 30mm square white powder coated steel box frames. Warm white light led strip lighting is concealed within this throws light into each of the individual cube shelves. Clear glass forms the top & bottom of each cube unit so that light is encouraged to pass through at all times.
The mid-floor tables are used to support the steel structure as it spans the space. The steel structure once again conceals all cabling & lighting with lighting for mid-floor units suspended within it. Feature box displays sit within the perimeter shelves can be pulled out & used as stacked retail display for mid- floor fixtures. Stock storage is provided discretely at lower levels where retail display is least attractive. All lighting is set to separate dimmer systems to allow for full control of ambience throughout the seasons.
The resulting interior is light, timeless & totally befitting of its beautiful historical envelope. This store will maintain its classical appeal for years to come we suspect.
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