One of the challenges faced by the WalkerGroup/CNI when designing Spanish porcelain maker Lladró's Barcelona flagship, was achieving the clean “museum-like” setting that the retailer had in mind, while keeping the space shopper-friendly. Using neutral colors, near fluorescent overhead lighting and stone flooring, the designers created an airy, almost whimsical surrounding in the 4,500-square-foot, three-story flagship store. Judges were impressed with the store's use of light and color. “Elegant design concepts were used to deal with the challenges brought on by the verticality of the space,” says Patricia Farinas Farrell of TVS. Says Thomas Williams of Niles Bolton Interior Design, WalkerGroup's successful “use of materials reflected the merchandise,” giving the retail space an art gallery feel that the client wanted to achieve.
Project Name: Lladró Barcelona
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Square Footage: 4,500
Architect: WalkerGroup/CNI, New York
Client Team: Jose Luis Herrero Ismael Fernandez Margarita Arriagada
Credits
Construction Cost: $1.25 million
Design Team: Miho Koshido Hortensia Gonzalez Michael Laviano Rona Easton Albert Tadao
Lighting Design: L'Observatoire
Lighting Implementation: David Apfel
Project Management: MACE
Carpet: Durken Commercial Carpets
Ceramic Tile: Vogue Ceramica
Fabric: Blumenthal Architex Sterling Décor Concepts
Stone Floor: Stone Source
Floor: Stone Source
Vinyl Floor: Congoleum Corp.
Glass: Pulp Studios, Stone Source, CLO Glass
Glass Tile: Architectual Systems
Special Finish: Bam Bam Buffalo Felt Co. Inc.
Wood: Brookside Veneers
Furniture: Gordon International