Juicy Couture  flagship store by MRA Architecture & Interior Design.

Juicy Couture flagship store by MRA Architecture & Interior Design.

📅19 Novembre 2013, 10:47
TESTO ITALIANO

Working in collaboration with Juicy Couture’s creative team, MRA Architecture & Interior Design has designed and implemented the London flagship store for Juicy Couture at 198 Regent Street in London .

Located in the heart of the West End, within the Regent Street Conservation Area, the store, which showcases Juicy Couture’s apparel, accessories, fragrance and jewellery, comprises 2,375 square feet (230 sqm) arranged over two main floors and a mezzanine level.

MRA was presented with a brief to create an environment that would reflect Juicy Couture’s updated brand aesthetic. Led by Juicy Couture’s President and Chief Creative Officer, LeAnn Nealz, this highlights the couture elements of the brand, while retaining the label’s flamboyant LA style.

Juicy Couture  flagship store by MRA Architecture & Interior Design

MRA has responded with an interior that combines grand details and modern glamour with a playful spirit.

The brand’s aesthetic principles are reinforced by the fine detailing and craftsmanship used in the new furniture, which in turn enhances the character of the Grade II listed building. The sweeping marble staircase and newly restored 1920s wrought iron lift, for example, are now highlighted by bespoke panelled display walls, alongside intricate plasterwork mouldings, which contrast with hot pink glass and polished brass details.

Throughout the store, a sense of fun and vibrancy combines with the elegant original features, merging to create a high-end feel. The bronze storefront, which dates back to the 1920s and is one of the few remaining originals on Regent Street, has been carefully stripped and refurbished, and the modern aluminium entrance replaced with an antiqued bronze door. The vestibule features a brass Juicy Couture logo inlaid into marble flooring. From here, visitors enter the main retail space and are greeted with a highly decorative environment where a striking Italian marble chequerboard floor and unique over-sized furniture give the impression of a lavish entrance hall to a luxurious salon.

This feeling is reinforced by a chandelier designed specifically for the Regent Street store and generously scaled to suit the double-height space. Encircling the decorative fitting, an oval handmade plaster ring (a contemporary take on the ceiling rose) serves to house modern lighting, while adding a new dimension to the space.

JUICY COUTURE London flagship store mra architecture

The cash/wrap desk, containing glazed display vitrines, is designed to evoke a traditional store counter. Behind the desk, a feature wall with ornate full-height plaster palm trees and a theatrical pink taffeta curtain creates a backdrop for a neon Juicy Couture logo. The palm trees, for which the Regent Street store marks a debut, were developed by the Juicy Couture creative team and manufactured in California.

Opposite the cash desk the bespoke palm trees feature again in a display wall that shows apparel set against a pink glass backdrop, cutting through the decorative plaster. Bespoke brass and mirror tables and shelves showcase smaller accessories and, around the staircase, jewellery is displayed in mirrored vitrines, which also follow the wider store concept of the panelled salon.

The stairs lead up to the mezzanine level, where Juicy Couture’s ‘Bird’ collection, comprising sophisticated pieces, is displayed on simple, elegant brass rails. Here, a discreet glass balustrade overlooks the double-height ground-floor space, bringing the existing metalwork handrail to modern standards without compromising its appearance, thereby reflecting the design ethos that underpins the entire project. On reaching the basement retail floor the customer’s attention is immediately drawn to a library-inspired display of Juicy Couture’s iconic tracksuits.

Juicy-Couture-London_Mra_Architecture_2

Consistent features connect this space with the ground floor, with decorative mouldings and cream panelled walls – feminine detailing that lends elegance and contrasts with the vibrant colour of the clothing.

The main feature of this floor is an illuminated pink glass screen that offers a new view of the decorative plasterwork, giving a bright, fresh feel. This is complemented by the parquet floor, which adds warmth and acts to emphasize the marble-topped display table, cut from the same stone as the flooring used above. Further into the basement space is the girls’ area, behind which generously sized fitting rooms have bespoke plaster ceilings and signature Juicy Couture wallpapers. Here, the original pavement lights are given the ‘Juicy’ treatment with a pink lacquer finish.

Concept Architect  MRA Architecture & Interior Design
Lead Consultant/Project Manager  MRA Architecture & Interior Design
M&E Consultant  E&M Tecnica
Lighting Design Paul Nulty Lighting Design
Main Contractor Newman Scott
Photos courtesy by Nick Guttridge

MRA Architecture and Interior Design is a dynamic architectural consultancy specialising in the design and construction of high-quality retail interiors for a host of international clients. Since its formation in 2002, MRA has developed a reputation for creating captivating environments that effectively communicate the client’s brand values whilst delighting and engaging the customer. Led by directors Anshu and Stephanie Srivastava, MRA has established a track record for the successful design and project management of retail interiors from concept design to completion. Repeat work from several multinational brands is testament to MRA’s ability to meet client aspirations and deliver to programme, often working to complex briefs and tight deadlines.

Based in offices in London and Paris, the consultancy has gained international project experience and an impressive portfolio, which demonstrates MRA’s clear thinking, bold concepts and expert delivery. Recent projects include Juicy Couture’s new flagship store in Regent Street, London, and Agent Provocateur’s store on Madison Avenue, New York.

©  AN shopfitting magazine


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