Ora Active.
A movement through functionality and sensuality: this is how we define the design process for the first retail store of the women's sportswear brand Ora Active.
Located in Palermo, Buenos Aires, the idea was to move away from the typical storefront with mannequins and instead create a journey based on the mystery we could generate on the façade. Here, our allies were glass blocks, which, removed from the municipal line, allowed us to achieve the right balance between the street and the intimate interior, with diffused lighting that can be seen from the outside but preserves the privacy of the interior.
Once inside, a mixture of warmth, subtlety, and reflections is present, not only for the display of the products, but also for the textures, the exposed metal, the existing concrete, the color palette, and the meticulously crafted details—present in the development of racks and display systems, in the counter and fitting rooms as both functional and programmatic articulators—invite a sensory experience, an experience that materializes, through architecture, the very conception of the brand in each of its garments.
The commission also required that, in addition to the commercial premises, the project involve the company's rapidly expanding workspace, directly linked to part of its stock of merchandise, challenging us to find a balance between a functional and dynamic workspace—the brand stands out for its content creation, garment development and design, and marketing and sales work in constant connection—and storage. To achieve this, the staircase and distribution bridge connect the adjoining workspace on the upper floor, while the double height is used for storage shelves in the main work area, to which the existing patio is added as a private extension of the workspace.
Team:
Architects: Estudio GLAD
Architects in charge: Lucia Rivolta + Amelia Sanchez Casella
Photographer: Luis Barandiarán
Materials Used:
Herrerias: Martin Mercante
Bloques De Vidrio: Vitroblock
