[button link=”http://www.arredanegozi.it/2018/03/progettazione-negozi-ottica-studio-ofist-eye-d-istanbul/” icon=”none” target=”” color=”a30b0b” textcolor=”ffffff”]TESTO ITALIANO[/button]
Ofist creates a unique retail and hospitality design concept for eyewear brand Eye-D that defies gravity and convention. Responding to the brief for a multifunctional space to serve as a blogger spot, art gallery, café, and music venue –while giving retail its due floor area and focus.
Ofist founders Yasemin Arpac and Sabahattin Emir turn to an unexpected material to offer visitors a cohesive and unforgettable experience.
Suspended from the ceiling are 550 cork yoga blocks to inject levity into the 105 sqm interior. Nearly 100 of the blocks are outfitted with light sources as well.
A long plywood table laminated with cork is suspended from the ceiling and accented by matching cork stools as well.
At the entrance, a white metal framework illuminated by tinted lighting creates an atmospheric liminal zone between the interior and the surrounding city, a strategic approach stemming from the designers’ goal of bringing urban environments back down to a human scale.
Working outward from this approach, Ofist achieves an intimate design that emphasizes the individual as well as social interaction. With a playful interior to match its brand identity, the Eye-D store, proudly declaring itself a ‘Rayban-free’ space, is part of a notable shift in the contemporary eyewear industry.
Previously considered cumbersome and uncool objects to address a handicap, eyewear is now a fashion accessory and tool of self-expression.
The store emphasises this reformation by bringing boldness and originality to the forefront through its multifunctional areas, erotic artwork, and repurposed ceiling installation of yoga blocks with integrated luminaires.
A large communal table laminated in cork also hangs from the structure with four thin cables, giving the entire space an upward movement and sense of weightlessness, appropriate given the lightweight nature of the material.
This soft cork is contrasted with perforated iron panels that line the walls and serve as a minimalist display system for the eyewear, art and décor.
The overall airiness and ubiquitous application of commonplace materials is a welcome departure from the intimidating luxury of high-end stores.
The aesthetic communicates an open, inviting space that brings together shoppers, art enthusiasts, café-goers, or simply passersby intrigued by the quirky interior
Project Eye-D
Location Istanbul/Turkey
InteriorDesign Ofist (Yasemin Arpac & Sabahattin Emir)
Photos courtesy Ali Bekman
by AN shopfitting magazine no.143 ©
