Have you ever been in a marble quarry? In Mykonos, the Greek heritage brand SCULPTURE, has designed its flagship store with classical art in mind, creating a quarry-like boutique made of sculpted blocks of Dionysus marble – the same kind used to build the Parthenon.
SCULPTURE, is a brand of Greek soul and heritage, identified with inherently Greek visual elements and a design philosophy that embodies the Mediterranean culture through creations of timeless value. The swimwear, the underwear and the perfume collections signed by SCULPTURE stand out for their classical allure and elegance, which transcend the short-lived fashion trends.
Aspiring
Saint of Athens took on the design and creation of the brand’s flagship store; of a space that would not just showcase its creations, but that would also serve as the embodiment of its creative psyche itself, like a thematic art gallery, while welcoming the visitors with a unique experience. The grounds for this new boutique would therefore have to harmoniously blend timeless artistic spirit, elegant simplicity, upscale fashion and Greek soul – a combo found in no other place than Mykonos, the whitewashed Cycladic jewel with the cosmopolitan allure.
Conceiving
The beloved island, both popular and rough in its Cycladic character, was an easy choice, a perfect location to realize our concept for the brand, which was to let the SCULPTURE’s trademark griffin unfold its wings freely, demonstrating how its primitive-like creative force manifests objects equal to artworks. We wanted to create an analogy to the form of the famous perfume bottle: reminiscent of a boat’s sail or of a sculpted piece of marble, it holds the secret of harnessing the wind or the primal matter of art. The display of the brand’s items should feel both natural and artistic.
Materializing
To this end, we took inspiration from the exact place where nature’s roughness showcases its readiness to get transformed into art: The marble quarry. In fact, we decided to actually create one, specially designed to host the creations of the brand. In collaboration with the marble experts of Form To Matter, we found the perfect blocks of Dionysos marble from Penteli – the renowned marble used in masterpieces such as the Parthenon – to cut them into the desired size. Then, at the premises of the marble workshop, we processed and sculpted them, building an actual size mock-up of the store, to ensure that the final result would make our design justice. We then dismantled it and shipped the sculpted marble pieces to Mykonos. Finally, in the small hours of the day, when such transports are permitted on the island, we carried them through the Cycladic narrow alleys with tricycles, to reassemble at the store’s site.
Experiencing
Nothing can prepare you for the one-of-a-kind experience you get to live once you step into the new flagship store. The whitewashed aesthetic gets elevated into an interior designed to feel like a quarry-resembling marble gallery that stays true to the Cycladic simplicity. Contrary to what you would expect by the presence of the rough marble blocks, there is a calming quality in the ambience of the store, thanks to the tranquil element of water, gently flowing over a piece of marble creating a modern artwork, and to the illuminated geometry of the installation, modestly highlighted by the custom lamps. The SCULPTURE creations are displayed with an eloquent simplicity, like showpieces ready to be admired and acquired, standing out but also simultaneously incorporated into the whole.
Counting
It took three months to complete the new flagship store. We used 3.8m3 of marble, two of which for building the 5800kg wall. In the interior, a staircase made of 0.6m3 of marble captivates the eye, and the marble rock of the window display weighs 960kg.
However, the time the visitor wishes to spend inside the store is uncountable.
Architectural Concept and Interior Design: SAINT OF ATHENS Architectural Design and Master-Planning: MANOS KYPRITIDIS Sculpting: FORM TO MATTER Woodworks: FLATFORM Artworks: YIORGOS KAPLANIDIS Signage: XSIGNS Project Coordinator: GEORGE BALAMATSIS / PAVLOS MASTELA Photographer: GIAGKOS PAPADOPOULOS
