Pinko Store Fiumicino airport

Germán Saiz

• Architects

External Reference captures the essence of the Pinko brand with a 3D-printed skin that dresses the new store at Fiumicino Airport

The new shop is a space where the physical and digital dimensions merge to build an emotional landscape;

Based on the history with the brand's iconic swallows and inspired by the textile fibres, a 3D printed skin has been created and wraps the interior of the shop;

The manufacture of the cladding uses a novel technique in which robots 3D print directly onto custom-made moulds;

Iconic Italian fashion brand Pinko has commissioned External Reference, a Barcelona-based architecture firm led by Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, to conceptualise and design its new 95 m2 shop at Rome's Fiumicino airport. Pinko, a brand known for collections that stand out with a contemporary, eclectic and original style aimed on this occasion to go beyond the conventional notion of a shop; seeking to establish a new concept for the brand in a space where fashion, design and technology converge.

The main source of inspiration for this project was the intricate weaving of the fabrics from which Pinko's designs are made and the iconic swallows in the brand's logo. ‘We imagined them flying with outstretched wings, gracefully and deftly weaving the lines that form the walls of the shop, weaving the delicate branches together to form the nest. Only instead there were ingenious mechanical arms programmed to replace them,’ explains Zappulla.

Under the vision of Carmelo Zappulla and his team, this metaphor is reinvented and translated through the use of the latest computational tools into an intricate skin that envelops the shop, made through 3D printing. The arrangement of this skin as a cladding follows a sequence that is composed from two layers of overlapping ‘threads’, going from an initial simple and linear arrangement to then transforming into sinuous and complex patterns that give depth and textural richness to the space.

These ‘threads’ are carefully interwoven with each other and, at the same time, with the structures of the display shelves: glass shelves highlight the bags, while, in the central area, coat racks mimic the colours of the threads and display the garments, culminating in the final part of the shop, where a large mirror creates a sense of spaciousness.

Upon entering, users are greeted by a display lit by a large theatrical lamp featuring the brand's iconic pieces. This central element consists of an artistic reinterpretation of the brand's logo evoking Pinko's iconic swallows in the form of giant threedimensional puzzles. Above it, an oval installation of reflective surfaces and LED screens creates a unique visual experience, forming what could be described as a ‘digital gateway to heaven’. On these screens, a selection of digital artwork captivates visitors and integrates a new digital dimension to the brand experience. In a result of the fusion of light and matter, the perfect backdrop is created to highlight the elegance of Pinko's garments.

Through the cladding, programmable luminous glass spheres are strategically incorporated to produce dynamic light effects, shaping a sophisticated atmosphere that transforms the shop into a refined and changing setting, an emotional landscape guided by the soft rhythm of the lights.

The choice of a monochromatic colour palette has been key to creating a versatile, neutral, and contemporary backdrop, which perfectly complements the garments of the renowned Italian brand and creates an elegant and contemporary atmosphere for the new space.

Given the complexity of the three-dimensional mesh, the production process involved creating prototypes using a novel technique in which robots 3D printed directly onto custom-made moulds. The material of choice was PIPG, - composed of 70% recycled PET-G and developed to address both environmental concerns and the need for high quality printable materials. External Reference, as in its long history of exploring new 3D printing technologies applied to design and architecture, has relied on the expertise of LaMáquina for this project.

The Pinko shop at Fiumicino has achieved a fundamental historical milestone in 3D printing by becoming the world's first project of its kind to obtain BS1D0 classification, which guarantees that the materials used have the appropriate fire resistance certification for airport environments.

External Reference's innovative approach aligns with Pinko's philosophy in a new space where physical and digital dimensions merge to build an emotional landscape for customers to discover the latest collections reflecting the distinctive essence of the brand.