Since most of Mistral's sales are internet-based, the architects sought to create a space that would showcase the wine in a recreational way, thus justifying the physical presence of the client — both laymen and connoisseurs.
The 100 square metre store features a sales space, cellar, storage, interactive gallery, reading room and wine tasting, and adopts the curve as a main defining line, which according to the architects evokes "the sensorial perceptions of wine."
"We aimed to invite the customer to discover the unique content of each bottle," state the architects. The curved space forms a path which reveals each different space gradually, while the wine bottles, arranged in backlit panels, seem to float in the retail environment. The bottles are exposed in different manners according to the spaces, becoming a constant texture in the store.
All the technical equipment is hidden within the walls — including several screens that can be lit at the touch of a button. An interactive table showcases a monthly selection of wines, and sensors underneath each bottle allows the related content to be projected in the table screen.
In the back of the store, a nook with a bookshelf and a Lina Bo Bardi chair invites customers to explore a series of publications on wine. A tasting space was created in the mezzanine, where two assembling tables were designed to adapt to the number of guests.
Location:São Paulo, Brazil
Client:Mistral
Architects:Arthur Casas with Raphael França, Joana Oliveira
Team:Gabriel Ranieri, Maria Alice Carvalho, Mariana Santoro
Project Manager:Cristiane Trolesi
Contractor:Souza Lima
Area: 126,73 square metres
Completion:2012
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