ARCHITECTURE: The design was by Sybarite, the London-based architecture and design practice responsible for store concepts for Comme des Garçons and Marni.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

The design was by Sybarite, the London-based architecture and design practice responsible for store concepts for Comme des Garçons and Marni.

Kuwait takes the sybaritic around department stores in circles

Sheikh Majed - alias Sheikh of Chic - launched his third Villa Moda boutique department store in Kuwait in January. The design was sybaritic London-based architecture and design practice responsible for store concepts and children like Marni.

The brief was to unite the city’s past and present through the design, recreating the motley, chaotic feel of a bazaar within a modern luxury department store.

The store is situated in the Fahaheel district in Kuwait City, Although women mainly wear the veil, there is a strong market for luxury fashion and branded accessories. The store is aimed at a more diverse market than previous Villa Moda incarnations, featuring more accessible merchandise alongside the superbrands - the general feel is more relaxed and democratic.

And where previous stores are dominated by strong straight lines and cultural references, here Sheikh Majed specifically chose Sybarite because of its track record producing elegant curves.

He would not be disappointed: circles are the order of the day. The new store is defined by a system of cylindrical pods, in different sizes and finishes, that have been sliced at angles and randomly scattered over the two floors. The pods can be heavily merchandised inside and out to help create a ‘souk’ feel – as per the brief.

Each tenant has been given specific design guidelines to ensure their areas work alongside the client’s pods, maintaining a cohesive style and look to the overall store. A ‘street’ café sees tables spilling out into the ground floor retail, while a polished concrete floor, sleek white walls and gloss lacquered finishes create an interesting contrast to the traditional merchant stalls of the pods.