“What’s unique about the Gothenburg Flagship Store is how we managed to package a contemporary retail concept into a historic building with an existing structure”

Studio Stockholm’s Karolina Nyström, one of the members in the architectural team.

The generous staircase – made possible by a careful larger opening of the floor – now invites customers to explore the upper floor of the store.

The mobile checkout stations, inspired by a monolith and created with terrazzo, not only blends in well with the interior but also means great flexibility for the employees and customers.

Challenge

• The building itself, originating from the early 19th century, needed a tailored approach to balance the historic architecture with the requirements of a modern retail space. The floor was leaning significantly and thus had to be corrected.
• The two-floor venue was equipped with a narrow staircase that didn’t attract the customers to explore the second floor.
• The Synsam sub-brand, Ai Eyewear, was to be integrated into the flagship store for the first time, which required strategic as well as creative considerations.
• The area needed detailed planning with regards to the amount of store interior combined with the objective of accomplishing an optimized flow.

Process

• Studio Stockholm acted as both architect and strategic advisor and has conducted the project throughout the entire creative process in which the current concept was tailored and refined.
• As with the Stockholm flagship store, a holistic approach was taken regarding all of the communication areas, merchandising areas, and look of the store.
• Given the historic nature of the building, a strong focus was put on how to find innovative solutions that helped preserve its heritage while at the same time making the venue a retail space of its time.

Result

• A well-planned retail space where the modern attributes of the Synsam, as well as the Ai Eyewear brands, are well incorporated with the heritage of the building.
• A venue where straight lines have been accomplished after thorough analysis, along with a generous staircase resulting from a careful opening of the joists.
• A customer-focused retail experience that in every square meter is designed to support the business objectives of Synsam.
• In sum: a store that, despite the past year’s crisis, shows that the physical store isn’t dead but rather the opposite.