Designed by Román Izquierdo Bouldstridge, the Colvin florist in Barcelona transforms a former bank into a retail environment conceived as an abstract field of flowers. Located in the Eixample district, the 123 sqm space brings together existing architecture, vegetation and custom-made wooden displays.
The concept reinterprets a flower field crossed by pathways beneath the shade of trees, creating an environment where natural and constructed elements coexist.
Transforming a former bank into a florist
The first intervention focused on revealing the formal and material qualities of the existing space. The false ceiling was removed to recover the original height and expose the wooden beams, while layers of plaster were stripped away to reveal the brick walls.
A fire-resistant mortar was applied to the ceiling and structural reinforcement beams, creating a continuous rough texture. The new flooring, existing walls and high ceiling were then painted white, reducing the visual presence of the architectural envelope and allowing flowers, plants and timber elements to become the principal features of the interior.
A flexible layout for display and flower preparation
The florist is organised around an exhibition area where customers select flowers and bouquets, a semi-open workshop for preparing floral compositions, and private service spaces including storage, a cold room, office and toilet.
Sliding door systems regulate the relationship between these functions according to the level of privacy required. Fixed and movable glazed partitions with wooden frames are combined with sliding oak doors, allowing the different activities to remain visually connected or to be separated when necessary.
A flower field defined by trees and custom displays
The second intervention introduces a new sensorial landscape within the existing architecture. Trees rise through the white interior while flowers are distributed throughout the space, introducing colour, scent and texture into the otherwise neutral envelope.
The verticality of the tree trunks emphasises the height of the interior and establishes a dialogue with the existing cast-iron columns. Large mirrors extend the visual depth of the space, multiplying the vegetation and floral displays and reinforcing the perception of an urban flower field.
Custom-made wooden displays shape the customer journey
A flexible display system based on a series of custom-made wooden cylindrical volumes responds to the functional requirements of the sales area. Produced in different diameters and heights, the elements raise bouquets to different viewing levels while generating an informal and dynamic composition.
The same design language is extended to other functions: wooden elements become tables for the waiting area, the cash desk and containers for trees. Their apparently irregular arrangement creates clusters that naturally define circulation routes through the store.
The resulting interior combines retail functionality with a direct sensory experience of vegetation and flowers, transforming the former bank into a distinctive environment where customers can move freely between display, preparation and waiting areas.
Client: Colvin
Location: Eixample, Barcelona, Spain
Area: 123 sqm
Architect: Román Izquierdo Bouldstridge
Photo credit: Adrià Goula