Barcelona-based architectural practice, Dom Arquitectura have joined forces with Asa Studio to design a shoe shop for retailer SoleRebels. Completed in 2013, the former butchers is now a contemporary shoe store in Gracia, Barcelona, Spain.
According to the architects: “SoleRebels is an Ethiopian brand of shoes, from Africa they surprise us with recycled materials, colourful shoes and originality. Its purpose was implant the brand in Barcelona for the first time.
“Located in Gracia, we had a very small place and a very limited budget.
“The place was an old butcher with white and bright tiled walls. The coating did not fit with the brand and with the image that we wanted for the store. So we took out the tiles, but decided to leave the plaster gobs that held them, and paint in that textured walls with a stone grey with a gray glaze, so we keep alive part of the place history.
“Ahead the walls, as a new layer, we proposed a number of recycled items, such as pallets, ropes and wheels that fit with the brand image and the idea that we wanted to convey. With minimal resources we bet for a sustainable and original design.
“We decided to use natural materials and neutral colors to highlight the product. The colorful shoes should be the element that attract and stand out the street walker and future client.
“One iron piece in “U” form wrap the space and allows us to exhibit the most outstanding shoes. One store side is lined with pallets, which helps to increase exposure while gives warmth to the space. Some ropes tied to the pallets go up by the ceiling to come down to the other store side, where they also hold several wheels, reused to promote featured shoes.
“Everything is held between both sides and generates a sustainable tension.”
Images courtesy of Jordi Anguera
