The BIOEFFECT flagship store in Reykjavík, Iceland, is a 60 sqm beauty retail project designed by Basalt Architects, with lighting design by Liska. The interior concept draws on the barley plant used as the main active ingredient in BIOEFFECT products and references the materials, colours and atmosphere of the ORF biotechnology greenhouse and laboratories.
The store translates the brand’s production process into a physical retail environment through translucent polycarbonate, stretched green threads, white steel profiles, integrated lighting and plants. Its triangular layout is organised around a multifunctional central element that combines product display, information, testing, seating and storage.
“When we were approached by BIOEFFECT to design their flagship store in Reykjavík, our initial reaction was to visit the ORF biotechnology greenhouse in Grindavík and its laboratories in order to better understand BIOEFFECT’s core values and production process. We learned about the brand’s identity and the process of growing and processing barley, the main active ingredient in BIOEFFECT products.
We instantly realised that the new flagship store should reflect this unique process, using the barley plant as a design concept and the material and colour palettes found in the greenhouse and laboratories in order to provide a strong sense of identity for the store and the brand.”
Marcos Zotes, architect and partner at Basalt Architects
The design concept translates the barley plant into spatial elements
The initial design concept creates a light interior atmosphere through display elements suspended from the ceiling and a combination of material, colour and translucency.
The architects use stretched green threads as an abstract representation of the barley plant’s pointed leaves. These threads extend across furniture, walls, display cabinets and lighting elements, establishing a visual connection between the interiors and the biological process behind BIOEFFECT products.
Working in close collaboration with BIOEFFECT, Basalt Architects developed the concept by testing different thread densities, materials and colours. This process defines the balance between transparency, texture and visual continuity throughout the store.
The triangular layout organises circulation around a central element
The interior arrangement responds directly to the triangular shape of the existing space. Customer circulation develops around a central structure that combines several functions within a single element.
The structure accommodates product display, information, product testing, seating and storage. Its position establishes the principal point of orientation inside the store while keeping the surrounding circulation areas accessible.
Above the central area, a large triangular luminaire also functions as a suspended support for plants. The vegetation hangs over the space and contributes to the connection between the store, the barley plant and the greenhouse environment referenced by the project.
Suspended display cabinets maintain continuity between interior and exterior
Display cabinets occupy the window bays and are suspended from the ceiling. By leaving the floor unobstructed, the system creates a sense of visual lightness and maintains continuity between the interior and the exterior.
The suspended configuration also reinforces the relationship between the displays and the other overhead elements. Furniture, lighting and plants are perceived as parts of an integrated system rather than as separate additions to the sales floor.
Products remain visible from the street through the window openings, while the absence of supports at floor level preserves a clear reading of the triangular space.
Integrated lighting provides uniform illumination for the products
The lighting design was developed in collaboration with Liska. Lighting elements are integrated into the display systems to provide uniform illumination across the product presentation areas.
The positioning of the light sources is designed to limit unwanted shadows and support a clear view of the products. Lighting therefore operates as part of the furniture and display concept rather than as an independent layer.
The large triangular luminaire above the central element also contributes to the spatial identity of the store. Its geometry responds to the layout, while its combined role as a lighting feature and support for vegetation connects functional and decorative requirements.
Translucent and industrial materials reference the greenhouse and laboratories
The material palette includes translucent polycarbonate, stretched green threads, white steel profiles, integrated lighting, barley and other plants.
These elements refer to the ORF biotechnology greenhouse and the BIOEFFECT laboratory, creating a direct relationship between the production environment and the physical space of the flagship store.
Polycarbonate introduces translucency, while the green threads add colour and texture without creating solid visual barriers. White steel profiles define the display structures and support the restrained material language of the interior.
The combined use of materials, vegetation and light establishes a consistent connection between the store, the product ingredients and the scientific context associated with the brand.
The interior communicates the BIOEFFECT identity through layout and display
The design process begins with an analysis of BIOEFFECT’s corporate identity and brand values. Rather than relying only on logos or signage, the project communicates these elements through the organisation of the space.
Layout, customer circulation, product display, finishing materials, colour and lighting contribute to the representation of the brand within the interior. Each component participates in a coordinated spatial language linked to the company’s production process.
The relationship between the barley-inspired concept and the retail environment allows the store to communicate BIOEFFECT’s identity through physical and visual elements. The design therefore connects product presentation with the materials and processes that characterise the brand.
Project credits
Client BIOEFFECT
Location Reykjavík, Iceland
Interior Design Basalt Architects
Lighting Design Liska
Area 60 sqm
Photos courtesy Gunnar Sverrirsson
Basalt Architects is an architectural office established in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 2009. The practice is led by partners Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir, founder, Hrólfur Karl Cela and Marcos Zotes.
by AN Shopfitting Magazine no.162 ©