Eye-D is a 105 sqm optical store in Istanbul designed by Ofist as a multifunctional space combining eyewear retail with areas for art, social interaction and events. The optical store design is organised around two contrasting materials: cork, used extensively across the ceiling and furniture, and perforated metal panels that support the eyewear displays along the walls.
The project moves beyond a conventional optical store layout. Retail remains the primary function, while the space can also accommodate a café, art displays, music and other activities. Instead of separating these uses into individual rooms, Ofist integrates them within a continuous open interior.
550 cork blocks form the suspended ceiling
The most distinctive element is the ceiling installation composed of 550 cork yoga blocks suspended at different heights. Nearly 100 incorporate light sources, combining the installation with the general lighting of the store.
The blocks extend across most of the sales area while leaving the technical ceiling, ducts and services exposed above them. Their varying heights produce an irregular suspended layer rather than a continuous false ceiling.
Cork is also used for the long communal table. Suspended from the structure by four thin cables and accompanied by cork stools, the table provides a shared surface within the open central area without introducing visually heavy supports.
Perforated metal panels become eyewear displays
Along the perimeter, white perforated metal panels provide a flexible support for glasses, shelves, graphic elements and other objects. The regular grid contrasts with the irregular arrangement of the cork blocks overhead and keeps most of the eyewear display against the walls.
This organisation leaves the central part of the store available for communal furniture and other activities. Lightweight white metal frameworks are also used to define different areas without creating solid partitions.
At the entrance, a sequence of white metal frames forms a transitional space between the street and the interior. The same structural vocabulary continues inside, connecting the entrance, displays and functional areas.
The combination of suspended cork elements, perforated display walls and open metal frames gives Eye-D a flexible layout in which eyewear retail remains visible while other functions can occupy the same space.
Project: Eye-D
Interior Design: Ofist – Yasemin Arpac & Sabahattin Emir
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Area: 105 sqm
Photography: Ali Bekman
by: AN Shopfitting Magazine no.143 ©