The setting
An empty space is an orphaned space, without a mother or a father. As such, it inherits two things. The first comes from the setting's physical tangibility, from its morphology and materiality; the other is the soul of the space, and the uses that others have assigned to it.
The setting in which we found ourselves undertaking the Casa Lobster project encompassed both these things, a physical heritage, in which a funnel, with a series of changes in level, leads to a rear courtyard, in keeping with the classic groundfloor layout of Barcelona's Eixample. And a spiritual heritage, its function as an art gallery founded by the 1960's visionary René Metrás.
The concept
Inspired by a select few of the artists who exhibited at the gallery, as well as Metrás' audacious spirit, we envisaged the project as an artistic performance. A work of art embedded in the centre of the main hall, an artefact that could be traversed, touched, felt, in terms of its variety of textures, materials and illumination, as well as serving to exhibit the products. The great advantage of retail architecture lies in the fact that almost anything that be retail architecture, if it even requires such a qualifier, because architecture is always architecture.
Manifesto
We also wanted to use all of these qualities, the setting's formal and spiritual heritage, dovetailed with the idea of creating an artistic performance; a way of slamming our fist on the table a breaking away from the traditional idea of what an opticians should be, where products tend to get pushed towards the space's periphery, amassed and lacking in hierarchy.
Project Lobster is a brave and innovative brand, and we wanted the same for Casa Lobster.
Reminiscence
One of the characteristics that most captivated us about the original design of the René Metrás Gallery (commissioned by Metrás to two young architects J. Balari and J. Schmid) was the vaulted glass canopies in the rear courtyard. We therefore proposed to reclaim this feature, reinterpreting it in Casa Lobster's 'tunnel' where twelve solid methacrylate tubes form an irregular vault and provide an immaterial archway over the interstitial space in the multiverse that comprises the artefact/performance, which serves as an exhibition space in the main room.
The other spaces
Casa Lobster is much more than its showroom, it is also an open kitchen workshop shared by clients and opticians, it is cabinets, the courtyard, and of course, the in between spaces that connect one room to the next, creating a sense of calm as you journey through the space.
Materials and colours
The rooms feature a range of finishes designed to convey the character of each space. Velvet to gently cradle the products. Rendering to add texture to the space's vertical features and accentuate the solemnity of the showroom's impressive height. Wood to add warmth and a domestic feel to made-to-measure furnishings. Transparent methacrylate to blur boundaries and diffuse the light. Fabrics to carpet the floor and upholster the various sofas.
Team:
Architects: El Departamento
Founded by Alberto Eltini (architect) and Marina Martín (interior designer)
Photography:José Hevia
