‘Retail Sculpture’ is a term that emerged early on during the design process of EditionX. Rather than the act of designing shelves, displays, or sales desks, we wanted to produce a singular design element, a sculpture of sorts that has it’s own aesthetic quality and massing that simultaneously is inspired by existing conditions while also setting out to define new ones.
Thus, a long central form was developed that draws one’s eye through the space. Together, a lower ‘table’ element and a mirrored ‘ceiling’ element compress the space and produce an intimacy above the product display. These elements are made of an “off-the-shelf” industrial grating material. This product has a unique self-supporting structural ability and an enticing visual quality that screens and filters light, producing moments of opacity/transparency depending on one’s vantage point. These qualities, along with the material’s relative affordability, allow for larger design gestures to be executed within a modest budget.
In this application, the commercial space was designed for a Cannabis retailer, that like many others in Canada are navigating an industry that is in its infancy. StudioAC was charged with defining a retail aesthetic that was inspired by the brands values but would also attempt to further refine them. The approach is ‘minimal’ in ways while making a memorable statement that defines this present location but can also act to inspire future ones.
