The store is built with natural materials directly extracted from trees such as cork, or derived from them such as wood fiber panels and cellulose, and balances the natural, the imperfect and the handmade with the rigor and control necessary to place the product on display.
The constructive composition of the store is based on the stacking of expanded cork blocks, thus reducing the architecture of the store to a minimum. A system is created where matter becomes structure, support and space, and the logic of the materials solves the configuration of the store.
Cork blocks measuring 50x20x25 cm and 100x20x25 cm were used, one on top of the other and assembled with pieces of agglomerated wood fibres, thus allowing the blocks to be separated in height at the right distance to position the footwear on display. A simple construction system that systematises the display. This superposition of elements recalls the wood dryers and the cork boards themselves, arranged to maximise air circulation, and allows the product to be displayed for sale simply by placing it on the emerging shelves. Shelves that give rhythm to the space thanks to their modulation and repetition. The construction of these dividing walls organises the space and resolves the display system of the shop by itself.
From the material exploration arises the work with cork, whose organic beauty and warmth characterise the space and the atmosphere of the interior. Expanded cork is obtained by subjecting natural cork granules to a thermal roasting process that allows the material to be formed into sheets in a totally natural way, without the need for any chemical additives. There are no coatings on these elements, no paints and no final finishes. The material being worked with is understood, its values and qualities are enhanced, and the existing patina of the material is reinforced.
A sensitive and environmentally friendly store
The proposal connects with the Portuguese context and culture through the choice of proximity materials. In Portugal, the country with the largest area of cork oak forests in the world, cork oaks are crucial to maintaining the fragile ecological balance and weave a unique social, economic and cultural landscape. They are a symbol of sustainability and the engine of sustainable development, combating the climate change and desertification and protecting biodiversity. The cork used in the store has been extracted from them, respecting the cultural and territorial roots and integrating the local identity to preserve the historical heritage. The rest of the materials selected follow the self-imposed premises of sustainability with the objective of developing a sustainable commercial space model that promotes efficiency in the use of resources and seeks to minimise environmental impact and to maximise the responsible use of resources, such as the projected cellulose, obtained from recycled paper and cardboard fibers.
Sequence of spaces
Thus, some dividing elements are erected, built through the stacking that has been previously explained, which through their geometric layout manage to multiply the interior spaces of the store and the linear meters of display area. Through its repetition along the entire perimeter, a continuous perspective background is given to the whole space and four subspaces are formed. A circular volume highlights the center of the store and orders the sequence of spaces towards the visitor. The spaces are discovered concatenated through a diagonal axis along the length of the premises.
The grainy texture of the ceiling -with the use of projected cellulose- reinforces this idea of imperfection, and its tonality allows the lights and the product to be the protagonists, as well as creating controlled acoustics in the store. The floor stretches out, continuous, like a large Japanese tatami. Through two large skylights in the circular spaces and ceiling projectors in the linear planes, the sequence of spaces that make up the store’s route is guided, and the material and weight of the intervention is reinforced, through illuminated spaces. and shadow transitions. Minimal structures built with stainless steel tubing are drawn as delicate lines to arrange the clothes hangers on them.
An austere and slow proposal is achieved, with sober lines and complex textures, through an integral and unitary intervention, which creates an atmosphere that exudes a contemplative beauty, and manages to be a neutral container to enhance the value of the product on display
Location: Porto (Portugal)
Area: 308 sqm
Design: Estudio Além
Photo credit: Oleh Kardash Horlay
