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Portuguese vintage clothing label Mão Esquerda Vintage has a new shop nestled in the 19-square-meter ground floor of a historic building in Porto. Refurbished by Atelier Gustavo Guimarães, the intimate space shows off trendy minimalist aesthetics fused with the “raw, traditional vibe” of... View full entry
What could be more fitting as a symbol of rebirth in the City of Light, than a golden sun streaming spiralling metal rays? That’s the resplendent installation that Louis Vuitton visual creative director Faye Mcleod conceived for the façade of the maison’s new Peter Marino-designed Paris flagship. — Wallpaper
Louis Vuitton moves back to Place Vendôme in the most expensive part of Paris. The store occupies two 18th centurary hôtel particuliers. On the building façade, shines a giant golden sun. Apart from this addition, the exterior has not been transformed. The interiors of the store are... View full entry
Doubling as a giant billboard and storefront, the OKIO eyewear boutique in Guatemala features an eye-catching façade shaped like a pair of cat's eyeglasses. The project was designed by architectural practice Taller KEN, recently featured in our Small Studio Snapshots series. Photo credits... View full entry
Two 58-story towers, eighteen years and two billion dollars make up the fundamental elements of Herzog & de Meuron's city-like mixed-used development "6 AM," which, while beginning its first phase of construction in 2018 in downtown L.A.'s Arts District, won't be finished until its principal... View full entry
Fifty-two stories, four visually distinct sections, and one playful, gaping hole constitute the major components of Gensler's proposed new 300+ unit residential building for downtown Los Angeles, which would rise from the ashes of a (soon-to-be) former auto dealership on 1600 South Figueroa... View full entry
7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store chain, shared new numbers from its drone delivery experiment today. Seventy-seven customers in Reno, Nev., have now received items ordered from 7-Eleven delivered to their doorsteps via drone.
All 77 flights were from one store to a dozen select customers who live within a mile of the shop. 7-Eleven has partnered with the drone maker Flirtey for its delivery pilot.
— ReCode
It marks the first regular commercial drone delivery service to operate in the United States, flying ahead of other, potentially bigger drone delivery projects that haven’t yet been able to take off in the U.S. — like Alphabet’s Project Wing and Amazon’s Prime Air, the latter of which only... View full entry
“No lines. No checkouts. No registers. Welcome to Amazon Go.” The newest “disruption” offered by Silicon Valley promises to radically shake up retail design in the name, per usual, of increased efficiency. Located in Seattle, the Amazon Go store is a market without cashiers. Instead... View full entry
Black Cant System, a chic monochromatic fashion concept store by Hangzhou AN Interior Design was revealed as the 2016 World Interior of the Year on the last day of the INSIDE: World Festival of Interiors...Located in the suburban outskirts of Shanghai, the Heike concept store is quietly tucked away on the second floor of a furniture store. — Bustler
Out of over 100 competitive submissions, the retail store joins other stunning World Interior of the Year winners like March Studio's Hotel Hotel, the MOTT32 restaurant in Hong Kong by Joyce Wang Studio, and David Kohn Architects' Carrer Avinyó.Find more details about the project on Bustler. View full entry
Bureau Spectacular etched their mark into Downtown L.A.'s Arts District with the new Frankie flagship store that opened last Friday, celebrating the relaunch of the high-end streetwear label as well as the firm's first retail store design. Frankie founder Kevin Chen worked alongside Jimenez Lai... View full entry
The main shop in the V&A is being redesigned to create a more lively and flexible retail space at the centre of the gallery. Friend and Company Architects, with Milimetre and RA Projects were selected from a shortlist of six practices, which included Ab Rogers Design, Brinkworth, Edge... View full entry
Usually, you go to these fast casual things and you're in and out in a minute...In all of the commercial projects that we do, the reason that we do them and the reason that we probably get hired to do them is that we are interested in this idea of making a joyous space for everyday activities...
It's not so much about the brand name being reinforced everywhere as much as it is to provide this urban amenity living room.
— Barbara Bestor, on KPCC
Most people don't rave about the interior design in the average Jamba Juice. But Barbara Bestor and her practice might have changed that in the expanded Old Town Pasadena location they recently revamped. Bestor chats with KPCC's Alex Cohen in this 8-minute conversation about the new “Innovation... View full entry
Although the gargantuan stores of IKEA can already be public museums themselves, the Swedish retailer is preparing for the official opening of the IKEA Museum on June 30 in their Älmhult stomping grounds. Originally expected to open last fall, the 7,000 square-meter museum will showcase the... View full entry
The new building design introduced massive 40 foot sliding glass doors that could one day turn that store into an iCar showroom if they wanted to.
The estimated breakdown of the costs started with the shell of the building costing Apple $19 million. Some of the other costs included $1 million on the staircase alone. If there's 30 stairs that $33,333 per stair.
— Patently Apple
While Norman Foster's "spaceship" design for the Apple Campus has attracted its own share of critiques for possibly reviving older corporate design models, this newly refurbished Apple Store appears to be heading for a far more multi-faceted (and luxurious) future. In an era where many prefer to... View full entry
Foster + Partners’ plans for the overhaul of London’s Grade II-listed Whiteleys shopping centre have got the go-ahead – despite opposition from locals.
Westminster City Council approved the contentious scheme last night, but will now look into setting conditions concerning the scale of two residential towers that form part of the proposal, alongside a gym, hotel, cinema and new shops.
— thespaces.com
For more on listed projects, take a look at previous coverage here:Another Grade II listed building loses its protected status in north east EnglandSex Pistols graffiti secures famous Tin Pan Alley building Grade 2* listed status View full entry
Everyone loves the free samples, kitschy items, and affordable price points of SoCal grocer Trader Joe’s. The one thing that does spark ire about the chain is the small parking lots, which produce equal amounts of anxiety and horn abuse. But the website Strong Towns points out that TJ’s small footprints trickle down to cheaper prices for consumers. — Los Angeles Magazine
If you're not within walking distance of a TJ's (or, if you're just lazy) parking in one of the lots requires the steady nerves of a Zen master and the spatial dexterity of an architect. Whatever method you use to get there, just don't forget your bag, or all of your kitschy sustainability cred... View full entry
