Architecture studio Zeller & Moye designed the first store for the fashion label 'Sandra Weil' in central Mexico City as adelicate composition of wood and copper. A structure of vertically arranged wooden slats clads the entire existing space like a dress to a body. The semi-permeable walls made of local tropical wood hide existing imperfections whilst allowing views through and beyond the store making the space feel larger than in reality. When moving through the store, the customer can slowly discover different areas of clothes arranged amidst the various layers of wood and in niches. The spatial wooden grid forms a continuous introverted space that oscillates between open and closed as one walks through it.
With constantly changing light of the wandering sun, which partially enters the space through the permeable wood walls, the mood of the interior gradually transforms during the day. Likewise the wood lattice filters out views from the sidewalk creating an intimate experience inside, where the customer can focus on the clothes and try them on without been observed from the outside.
All supplemental elements are realised in polished copper and are specifically developed for the store. Dresses are presented on custom-made hangers of solid copper. Copper rails run inside the wooden walls, recessing the clothes between the wood slats, to maximise the walkable store area. Mirror-like, a copper side table reflects the surrounding store, while clusters of copper tube lamps hang from various points of the ceiling, evenly illuminating the space.
When seen from outside, the interior softly glows as inner light passes through the wood lattice onto the sidewalks. Views into the store gradually unfold as one passes along the windows creating ever-changing effects and perspectives.
