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The universe of the leather fashion design firm reflected in their flagship store designed by Evvo Retail.
The project “Espai Mietis” on behalf of Mietis and created by Maria Fontanellas was born in the Poblenou district of Barcelona.
It is a neighborhood of multiple dialogues involving different architectural languages, uses and typologies. It brings together the new technology industries as well as design schools, universities, new commercial and service spaces embodying contemporary character.
The initial idea was to preserve the essence of what the original walls had been, which had part of their history written on them while building a new space with the ” soul” of Maria’s universe on it in order to turn it into her own little world: a world to share. In this way, part of the original walls were preserved with their own “wounds” and their character directly linked to the idiosyncrasy of the neighborhood.
The new intervention was growing like superimposed layers, respecting different moments of time. The already existing volumes also gave clues on how to work on the distribution and they decided to reproduce them in order to create new spaces within the general space, creating a combination of “full” and “empty”.
As far as formalization is concerned, the architect created an environment very similar to Maria’s universe by using the curved shape of the arch as a plastic element. They applied it to the skylight at the end of the shop which is an important piece to enhance the luminosity of the space.
The proposal was to separate ourselves from the already existing wall, leaving a space where the light is presented as another element and, at the same time, works as a separator between the architecture of the building site and the filter formed by the three arches.
With the same intention, they defined the openings of the office zone and the mirror of the central zone. Attractive the contrast between the undulations of the metal sheets and the fall of the curtain rope. Here the curved shape is again highlighted, now playing with its concave and convex parts.
And, last but not least, the importance of the colour treatment and the decorative details and final attrezzo directly from Maria’s hand, which gave the space this magical touch very close to her way of seeing life and creation.
Aesthetics of space
The Mietis space opens its doors so that you can be transported into its universe, creating an immersive experience in a parallel, multi-sensory and welcoming reality.
The access tunnel connects the real world with Mietis’ captivating and colourful imagination. Maria reinterprets minimalism by drawing inspiration from Memphis, the space age and a variety of eras and styles. The constant use of vibrant, cheerful pastel tones creates a stimulating visual discourse. Every corner of the space is breathtaking and a strong statement of the designer’s creative spirit.
Industrial materials such as aluminum and cement are contrasted by elegant and theatrical textures such as red velvet curtains that create eclectic and intimate corners. The curvilinear forms and wavy panels in pastel colours take you to a world of fantasy, sweet and fun. All the elements together generate nostalgia for an innocent world full of magic and illusion.
by AN shopfitting magazine no.160 ©Photos courtesy Nerea Garro
