We approached the KRAKATAU flagship not as a conventional retail project, but as an art space and a physical embodiment of the brand itself. Here, architecture becomes the primary carrier of the brand's values and the first point of communication with the visitor.
The search for KRAKATAU's new visual language began with an exploration of the brand's philosophy and history. The name KRAKATAU refers to one of the world's most famous volcanoes and to the catastrophic eruption that made it legendary. From an aesthetic perspective, the eruption was an extraordinary natural phenomenon. According to historical accounts and local legends, the sky remained pink for days afterwards, while the moon took on a bluish hue.
The eruption of Krakatau is also believed to have produced the loudest sound ever recorded in human history. The explosion was so powerful that the resulting shock wave circled the Earth four times. For us, this eruption symbolises not only the force of nature, but also a metaphor for destruction, transformation, and the birth of new life. After an eruption, the landscape is completely reshaped, taking on a new form before gradually coming back to life.
We used the aesthetics of this natural phenomenon as the foundation for the brand's reimagined identity. Through the development of a new visual language, we wanted to convey the feeling of powerful new energy emerging while preserving the values that have always defined KRAKATAU.
Architecture as the Main Carrier of the Idea
We reimagined retail as an art space. The first and only exhibit that introduces visitors to KRAKATAU is an architectural installation suspended from the ceiling. The structure is constructed from perforated metal sheets finished with a powder coating.
Weighing more than 300 kilograms, this key spatial element evokes tectonic fractures and volcanic craters. Its sculptural form references the natural landscape, which we combined with the technological imagery of the contemporary metropolis.
The cyberpunk-inspired engineering aesthetic that lies at the heart of the brand's identity is reflected in the central element of the interior through an abundance of wires, cables, LED screens, and stainless-steel details seemingly spilling out of the craters.
These elements simultaneously evoke streams of molten lava and the intricate digital infrastructure of the modern city.
More than 40 kilograms of cables and over 300 metres of wiring were incorporated into the interior, becoming an integral part of the architectural language and creating a link between the natural and technological dimensions of the space.
Playing with contrast, we deliberately kept the main hall entirely white, creating a neutral, gallery-like backdrop for the central architectural installation. The retail fixtures were designed to be deliberately minimal and utilitarian. Stainless steel, cable systems, carabiners, and exposed fixings extend the brand's engineering aesthetic while simultaneously referencing the construction techniques used in KRAKATAU garments themselves.
Space as a Narrative
The visitor's journey through the showroom is built around a sequence of changing spatial experiences. Two LED screens positioned at the entrance create a narrow passage that appears to draw visitors into the space. Through this opening, the central hall remains partially concealed. Only fragments of a cybernetic landscape are visible — flashes of an ongoing digital battle, streams of lava, exposed cables.
Only upon entering does the visitor discover the installation in its entirety and begin to engage with the clothing display.
After the open, brightly lit central space, visitors move into a series of intimate fitting room capsules, where mirrors, stainless steel, video installations, and warm lighting create the feeling of stepping into an entirely different world: a protected, almost private environment.
This idea reflects one of the brand's core values — protecting people not only from the physical environment, but also from the constant pressure of information overload.
