Project Name
Auto Mercado
Location
San Jose, Calif.
Square Footage
25,000
Architect
api(+)
Client
Auto Mercado del Oeste S.A.
Credits
Tiles & Flooring
Dal Tile
Signage & Graphics
Neon Nieto
A&E Consultant
Arquigraf
Fixture Design
BIS
Lamps & Lighting
Arte en Luz
Darco
High Lights
Auto Mercado del Oesta S.A. sought a thorough reconception of its supermarkets. It turned to api(+), who recast the brand to convey that it is an upscale grocer of the highest order. With immense attention paid to details — from the treatment of signage and ceilings to the materials used for casing and shelves — the architects created an environment geared to the chain's affluent customer base. Interior architecture, fixtures, merchandising layout, department identities, graphics and communications were all redone as part of api(+)'s new scheme. The designers felt that the coloring was of particular importance, especially in differentiating sections. It used accentuated tiles along walls to achieve this effect, in addition to other design elements.