LIKESTORE
Client: Social Cat
Location: Emaar Square Mall-Istanbul, Turkey
Year: 2020
Facility: Retail
Size: 25 m2
Status: Built
Scope: Interior Architecture
LikeStore is a
genuine accessory shop, which has stores in old textures of İstanbul such as
Karaköy and Balat. We designed the first shopping mall branch of this concept
store in Istanbul Emaar Shopping Mall. The aim of the project was to blend the
texture and concept in the existing branches with current details and create an
original concept.
This little store carries the old textures of a classy İstanbul
neighborhood with itself. In a shopping mall, it reflects the atmosphere of street
branches of this boutique concept store which includes textures, materials, and daily
routines. It turns into a very hovel-like design concept around clear shopping mall
textures and materials.
Firstly, the plan of the store was very simple and clear.
There is a hidden case plus some connections with the shopping mall (alarm and
internet) in the middle of the store and all the other stuff designed around this
core to become just a part of the shopping mall floor plan and let people walk through
the store. Also, this welcoming attitude is supported by designing no facade.
A chair and a plant are located just at the edge of the store and shopping
mall floor for inviting people a little break from their shopping and to hear some
peaceful music. Also this is another connection between this shopping mall
branch and other branches, because the old street-level stores of the brand, provides
its customers a place to read, listening music and take some time off. Additionally, a niche is designed to make coffee for customers
as a treat.
All the furnitures on the wall side is designed modularly to let
its users carry them to another place and use them in another function. The separation
walls are gypsum boards which are covered with old plaster texture and became a
base for timber furnitures. These timber furnitures include hidden led
details and the challenge was to make these details completely fine.
Also, this furnitures are not just designed as exhibition modules, they are used for
hiding some kind of technical equipment.
Another additional layer was the mesh panels on the walls which
are designed to suspend products and make the customers aware of the old
plaster texture.
All the technical equipment on the ceiling is exposed as a
design matter. Electric cables, lighting materials, air conditioning stuff are covered
black and they become a part of this concept store design with all their simplicity.
