FRESHLABELS is a progressive Czech shopping platform that offers a diverse assortment of carefully selected goods from various brands, which are constantly changing and evolving.
Freshlabels Backpack Store Berlin focuses on a complete offer of luggage solutions for the so-called Urban Travellers - backpacks, bags, items for everyday use and fashion accessories. The ratio of the goods offered and their type may vary over time.
The space in the bustling central district of Mitte has a great location, but a short lease, therefore requires a limited budget. The deep layout divided by supporting pillars is covered by plasterboard and false bricks left behind by the former tenant. The initial question is: demolish or cover?
In the pursuit of a clean and lightly coarse visual, the obvious choice seems to be to demolish, but with regard to the possible realization time, the lease time and the level of risk from the still covered areas, the second approach wins. The whole project was a fast action - both the design and its implementation were realized in parallel within 5 months.
Second question then follows - how to cover up those large wall areas? It is followed directly by another, namely the need for a flexible solution allowing constant change. The answer is the inside-out design of a plasterboard construction, metal grids and the admixed cemented boards behind them as a cladding. That brings a solution that is cheap, raw, functional, usable in a large area and over the entire height of the walls, acting almost monumentally.
It also brings a desirable distinctive and fresh visual and above all a unifying line for all products. The grid between the supporting pillars creates bays for individual brands or themes, the fields in the grid create their own framing for each product. With adjustable accessories (such as shelves and hooks or hanger bars) they offer a fully flexible display system.
Incomplete and unfinished construction becomes the overall concept and motif of the interior.
The softness and irregular volume surrounding the central column and the cash register contrasts with the sterility of the metal grids. The intended fire foam turns into polystyrene during the realization, the pink colour remains and serves as the main eye-catcher when viewed from the street.
A certain warmness is also provided by "unfinished" raw MDF used for tables floating in the space and shelves placed within the column and cash register.
Mirroring brings another layer to the interior - the reflective gate and the individual pieces around the space revive the views and bring back the element of imperfection and indeterminacy.
The mirroring can also be experienced in a changing room in the back of the space separated by an oversized lightbox, and in a special CCTV installation with cameras and a screen in the front of the space.
