Project Details
Project Description
Located along the city’s main avenue, the store is in a building considered part of the city’s Cultural Heritage. By the end of the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty first century the space lost its historic character due to unfortunate alterations made by others. This lead to the initial consensus with the client and the city’s heritage architect to restore the building’s historic splendour.
The six story adjoined building that houses the store was built in 1927 as Telefónica headquarters which is now a major mobile phone operator serving Spain and many countries around the world. As relic of the architectural eclecticism of the period, it was built using forged steel frame and glass façades serving as a precursor of rationalism from a refined classicism and within a renovating atmosphere of the architecture of the time.
The project posed the challenge of integrating two contrasting elements, the recuperation of the historic character of the space and the marketing component of modern communication appliances. Creating a harmonious synthesis between these elements was possible through a rigorous approach towards details and the spatial organization of the program.
Every element from the external masonry, forged steel framework and glass façade to the interior mouldings on walls and ceilings, and lighting fixtures were recovered and treated. However since the original floor finish was destroyed in an earlier renovation, the installation of a raised floor allowed for new electric wiring to be introduced without harming the historic details on the ceiling and walls.
The interior organization of the space is simple in order to maximize functionality while allowing the recovered architectural and spatial richness to be appreciated. The central columns serve as organizing principle for the distribution of furniture and elements throughout the space. The cashiers and customer service counter have been located at the back of the store directly related to the back service areas.
The final outcome of the renovation has fulfilled the expectations of the clients and every team member giving way to a store with an immeasurable value. It has also served as an attraction for visitors due to the renovation’s ability to recover a lost history within the city for the sale of the most advanced technology of the twenty first century.
