blendage gallery store
como
italy - 2011
The client’s idea was a new type of shop in Appiano Gentile, near Como.
Blendage: its name comes from the combination of two rather common words: blend = original “mix” + age = expression of our time.
Blendage is an original concept store.
A space for emotional and recreational shopping, a comfortable and welcoming space where to spend quality time.
Thought at Appiano Gentile near Como as a first prototype to be later replicated both in Europe and worldwide, blendage wishes
to be appreciated as a place of “rare spices” where to brouse when looking for ideas and details to characterize your own lifestyle.
Blendage is an emporium with no strict product boundaries proposing an updated and accurately selected range of unique pieces,
selected series, accessible art, small local productions.
Blendage wishes to be an answer to today’ s need for new gentle and slow paced discoveries, balanced values, authenticity, awareness.
Blendage is located in the centre of the village, in a traditional architecture. The store is placed over two floors, the ground
floor and the basement, with a total area of about 300 square meters.
The shop has 5 windows on the main road access to the beautiful town square. Besides, the shop overlooks a private open space within.
The ground floor as well as the sale is expected to house an area for events, a newspaper archive and library of art, architecture,
fashion etc. The basement is meant to display art objects and unique pieces..
The project includes spaces characterized by an image that identifies the store, very marked and recognizable and distinguished by
displays which do not have a strong impact on the products. This kind of display is well adapted to the great variety of objects.
The colours chosen for the furnishing elements are light, white and grey, and the materials, iron and glass, have a strong emotional effect.
We wanted to create a space characterized by light and lightness.
The displays are made of two materials different one from the other glass and iron. They combine the lightness, and transparency of
the glass to the strength of the compact iron.
We would like to project a lightness, and strong design. So as to reach a final effect of powerful lightness/ light strength as a whole.
The displays, high from ground to ceiling, draw on the walls a texture all around the ground floor.
Photographer
Davide Virdis