The 6 Salon Pop-Up was a project born of crisis.

On January 31, 2019, a pipe burst within a residential unit above 6 Salon during a cold, arctic snap, flooding the ground floor salon space, necessitating a lengthy repair and renovation, displacing dozens of staff, and jeopardizing thousands of client appointments.

In response, a temporary salon was conceived, designed, and constructed in 11 days.

The tectonic and visual language of the pop-up telegraphed both the urgency of the situation as well as the underlying predicament, as a means of shared acknowledgment and participation.

A thickened divider constructed of metal studs supported mirrors emblazoned with yellow hazard markings and also housed the storage pods relocated from the salon. Construction lighting supplemented existing track lighting while yellow snow fence infilled the atrium facing storefront, announcing the presence of the salon while also providing privacy. Snow camouflage draped along an existing demising wall provided texture while removing any need to paint.

The pop-up, separated from the client’s other salon by one tenant space, was linked by an existing service corridor, allowing existing back-of-house salon areas to support the pop-up.

Good, Fast, and Cheap. Perhaps the only time we’ve seen a client get all three.

SPECS — BUILT
Location: Royal Oak > Birmingham
Site characteristics: Vacant retail storefront
Size: 2000 SF
Construction cost: not much 
Completion date: 11 days after the pipe burst on January 31, 2019.

More at m1dtw.com/6-salon-pop-up