Designing a retail space is a delicate dance, a fusion of three formidable identities: the client, the designer, and the city. Each exerts its influence, shaping the final outcome and determining the success or failure of the project. The client, often synonymous with the brand, carries the weight of its identity, meticulously crafted over time through voice, aesthetic, and message. It is the duty of the space to faithfully echo and amplify this identity, ensuring a clear and cohesive representation.
Equally significant is the role of the designer, be it an architect or an interior designer. Their style, ideally grounded in a thoughtful methodology, serves as the vessel through which the brand's essence is channeled into spatial design. Brands seek out designers who possess the ability to translate their vision into tangible form, forging partnerships that are symbiotic in their pursuit of authenticity and innovation.
Yet, amidst the interplay of client and designer, one cannot overlook the third, and often overlooked, identity: the city itself. Just as the architecture of buildings is influenced by the surrounding landscape, culture, and people, so too is the design of retail spaces. The city presents a unique challenge to the designer: should they conform to the existing urban fabric or challenge it, pushing boundaries and redefining norms?
Comme des Garçons SHIRT , New York
Yasuo Kondo, an interior designer based in Japan, known for his work for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Yohji Yamamoto and collaborations with Japanese fashion icon Rei Kawakubo. The third aspect of this concept, the city, was investigated deeper by Kondo in his designs for the Comme Des Garçons SHIRT menswear line in 1988. Kondo's methodology, which he honed under the mentorship of Shiro Kuramata, seamlessly blended architectural principles with interior design, allowing him to craft spaces that transcended conventional boundaries.
For Kondo, the city served as both inspiration and canvas. In his design approach for the Comme Des Garçons SHIRT stores in Paris and New York, he embraced the unique spirit of each metropolis, channeling their urban characteristics into the very essence of the spaces. He developed a methodology for this in which he called the "reverse vector". With this mode, he sought to decipher the historical and cultural tapestry of the cities, enabling him to weave a narrative that resonated with the essence of the city.
In Paris, Kondo's design echoed the city's romantic allure, with curved fixtures and aerodynamic structures that beckoned the flow of the city's air through the space. A way to invite the city in. Meanwhile, in New York, the minimalist silhouette of the store belied its maximalist impact, offering a visual retreat from the city's frenetic pace. The deliberate architectural details, from the shelving structures, mimicking those done in Paris, were inspired by shirt cuffs, to the ceiling panels reminiscent of shirtfront plackets, served as subtle nods to the brand's identity while grounding the spaces in their urban context.
Comme des Garçons SHIRT , Paris
Comme des Garçons SHIRT , New York
This accumulation of chronological events, the rise and fall of retail spaces, and their lasting impact allow for this critique. Kondo states, “The methodology using a reverse vector, which starts with deciphering the characteristics of the city, helped me expand my consciousness beyond architecture to the city itself.” These shops, nestled within bustling metropolises governed by their own set of standards and expectations, dared to challenge the status quo by embodying a tension between conformity and individuality, tradition and progress, history and future. Kondo’s attempt to address this critique through their design contributed to the sense of "newness" and the ongoing dialogue of urban critique and renewal, paying homage to the cities that inspired them.
In essence, the design of retail spaces is a reflection of the intricate interplay between client, designer, and city. It is a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and contextual understanding in shaping environments that transcend mere functionality to become immersive experiences, evoking emotion, and fostering connection.