A shoe shop

The well-known regional shoe label is undergoing brand rejuvenation to better reflect and sharpen its aspiration for the future. The brand was originally inspired by the Japanese aesthetics and the owners decided for it to continue to be so.

The designers determined very early on in the design stage that they want to avoid the minimalistic cliché that is very commonplace with some japanese inspired aesthetics. Instead of jumping straight into designing something that looks minimalist or “japanese”, the project uses basic geometries. Geometries have evolved much over the ages to some of its current very complex forms. Some historians call the earliest group of geometry, practical or simple geometry. Simple geometry may be in two or three dimensions and consists of rectangles, triangles, ovals, spheres and so on.

The design of the shoe boutique attempts to celebrate this set of early simple geometries and to use them as tools for various purposes.
The shop is visible on both opposite sides: one side is the passageway and the other is a void from which sunlight pours in during the day from a skylight above the void. It thus makes sense that the geometrically shaped display elements are individually “sculptural” forms so that they and the shoes can be appreciated from both sides. All sides will then be taken care of actually.

Some of these display elements are designed to be visual markers, like the semi-sphere which is the centre-piece of the space. It is both display for the latest shoes on the outer half as well as a seating space on the inner half. Large rings of oval displays are designated at a corner and they are seemingly suspended, cantilevering from a column and held in place only by several vertical poles. The circulation of human traffic in the vicinity of the area outside the shop is studied in detail as well. This is so that the entire experience of the shoppers can be designed. Sequences of full height facades in triangles give implied visual direction to the boutique entrance.

Circulation within the shoe boutique consists of primary “paths” marked by carpeted flooring which leads shoppers from the external passageway into the boutique through the two corners. Secondary paths within the boutique are more subtle and are created by the geometries of the various display shelves themselves. The overall colour and material selection is kept to a limited palette. Velvety plasters sourced from Italy are applied onto most external and internal walls to create smooth soft surfaces that can display a variety of shades within the hue depending on which angle you look at it. Sand textured paint from Italy are also painted by hand to the geometrically shaped shoe displays to add interest when observed up close.

Mitju shop
Architects: Hue D