Moose in the city
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
Ten years after PUUR was commisioned to design the concept store, Moose in the City, its owners ask PUUR to re-fit the shop to make it suitable for a new retail concept with a focus on conscious lifestyle products.
The design concept "Theatre" was chosen as a reference to the former function of the location and delivering an inviting retail experience. The concept of sustainability is translated into three pillars: reduce, reuse & recycle.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Ten years after PUUR was commisioned to design the concept store, Moose in the City, its owners ask PUUR to re-fit the shop to make it suitable for a new retail concept with a focus on conscious lifestyle products.
The redesign process was preceded with a phase of extensive study and analyse. We laid out a list of important questions to wich the answers had a massive bearing on the new design concept of the store.
The concept of sustainability is translated into three pillars: reduce, reuse & recycle. We conducted extensive research to screen the possibilities to reuse the existing materials. PUUR took stock of the elements that could be retained during the redesign.
The existing concrete flooring was sanded and re-treated. The walls and ceiling were retained and painted. The lighting was recycled. Rails and white spotlights were retained. The mirrors in the changing rooms, the large screen at the entrance, the curtains in the shop window and the folding tables, are all elements reused from the original shop fittings.
The most important element that was reused was the existing white clothes racks. These were completely dismantled and put back in a new arrangement. The original wall rack system that twists and turns, connecting the two shopping areas, in the new design has been 100% reused. The Rubberwood shelves from the existing layout were recovered one by one. They were sanded down and varnished in a new colour.
In the centre of the store is placed a “theatre” display set up, a nod to the former function of the building. This set-up is repeated at various places in the store.
To emphasise the new concept of the store, a new display system was additionally designed from wooden frames, in contrast to the existing white metal shelves.
All new materials were carefully selected based on their sustainable properties. In doing so, we looked for materials with a low or nearly zero ecological footprint.
Key objectives for sustainability
The concept of sustainability is translated into 3 pillars: reduce, reuse & recycle. An overview of the existing construction elements that were retained from the original shop fittings.
The existing white clothes racking were dismantled and 100% reused in a new arrangement.
All Rubberwood shelves were reused. We conducted extensive studies and research to thoroughly screen the materials of all new additions for their sustainability.
For the new check-out counter, we opted for the age-old‘rammed-earth’ technique. The material is a circular rammed-earth mixture made from non-polluted, undisturbed soil. If ever needed to be dismantled, it simply can be “disposed of in a field”. It is CO2-neutral.
Three materials were selected for the display/seating block elements: Really, a material similar to felt, made from cotton and wool that have reached the end of their useful lives. It can be re-granulated and formed into new felt sheets. Plasticiet “Chocolate factory”, a material made of plastic recovered from old moulds from a chocolate factory, an invention by the young Rotterdam collective Plasticiet. Forbo Marmoleum Cocoa is a combination of durable Marmoleum flooring mixed with cocoa shells, the residual product from cocoa production.
A selection of conscious materials chosen: For the check-out counter's furbishing, Rewood was chosen. It is FSC-certified and produced from recycled wood. It is low in formaldehyde. We chose Larch Wood for the frames of the new shelves and wooden frame system. It is the most durable and hardest European pinewood. The material chosen for the carpets in the fitting rooms and the floorcarpet on in the “theatre” area, is wool, a 100% natural material. We used a new circular fabric called ‘Be The Fibre’, made from old denim, to make the curtains of the fitting rooms.
The energy consumption was examined and a reduction is obtained. The option of installing photovoltaic panels is included in the new store’s energy consumtion concept.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The design concept "Theatre" was chosen as a reference to the former function of the location and delivering an inviting retail experience.
It is translated as a "Theatre" display set-up in the centre of the store. This set-up is repeated at various places in the store.
The overall focus is on sustainability and experience. With the choice of materials, we deliver the proof that sustainable can also be beautiful. Sometimes the choice is obvious, other times it can be surprising, but most of the time the evaluation is a challenge.
What its course is, with every decision we ask ourselves the same question: how can we incorporate this choice in a futureproof vision? It is our vision to combine circular, sustainable design without compromising on the aesthetics.
The most striking reference to the techniques used in a theatre is the double stainless steel ring on the ceiling in the centre of the store. Beneath these rings are rounded and wedge-shaped blocks, which can be fitted together to form one large seating element. These seating blocks are multi-functional and double up as display elements.
The choice of materials for the display/seating blocks is colourful and playful. Using a combination of soft and hard surfaces, these blocks encourage tactility. Other materials, such as the rammed earth, the wool and the upcycled denim from Be The Fibre, enhances the importance of tactility in the store. It is a symbol for the reconnection with our human senses that is also centered in a conscious lifestyle.
As it is the store owners' idea to host formal and informal gatherings and seminaires, the multifonctional "Theatre" setting will prove its efficiency when re-arranging the store lay-out for the event.
Key objectives for inclusion
In the philosophy of the retail concept of a conscious lifestyle, the existing furniture was recycled as much as possible and supplemented with sustainable materials and upcycled items. The design concept works as a complementary canvas to maximize the conscious mindset and lifestyle.
We also implemented a number of features that encourages a concious mindset.
A water point with a Quooker tap has been installed centrally in the shop, which filters tap water and offers boiling water, cooled still water and sparkling water. The integration of this tap into the store allows both visitors and shop assistants to fill up their own water bottles.
Orders are delivered with cargo bikes wherever possible.
The store has a Second Life program wich gives discarded items a second chance.
Point-of-sale material tell the sustainable story behind each product using clear symbols to inform and explain the conscious concept to the customer.
The collection of clothes, cosmeticary, books and food are chosen for their sustainable origin. The store owners aim to bring a fashion and design offer that is the result of cross-fertilization between the city and nature, craft and design. Where possible, they keep the ecological footprint as small as possible and they consciously choose sustainable players.
As it is the store owners' idea to host formal and informal gatherings and seminaires to share the conscious lifestyle and to encourage a sustainable mindset.
Results in relation to category
With a square surface of more than 600 square meters, Moose in the City is the leading reference for the Antwerp region in the category of sustainable and conscious retail.
The design concept works as a complementary canvas to maximize the conscious mindset and lifestyle. We believe we succeeded in creating a retail space where our clients ,who assigned us for this project, can develop a clear vision and message to their clients and the broad audience.
People and clients visiting the store are to be inspired by the space that perfectly reflects the values of a sustainable and conscious lifestyle.
How Citizens benefit
Recently, PUUR was invited to present the project of the interior design of Moose in the City as a case study during a seminary hosted by the leading Belgian retailer's organisation Retail Detail.
Furthermore, the project was submitted to a study 'The Experience Design Generator' conducted by University of Hasselt in collaboration with The Retail Design Lab. 'The Experience Design Generator' gave the project Moose in the City a quotation of 81,2%. This result was announced and discussed during the seminary.
"Great detailing in the design of the shop fitting. All in line with the retailers brand values. It is great to see the old shop fitting got a new life. The modularity of the system shows its benefit and might again outlive a new shop update in the future. The new furniture elements are made of carefully selected sustainable materials, completing again the brand values of the retailer. Especially the cash desk catches the customers eye (and heart)." as quoted by Katelijne Quartier, Assistent Professor Retail Design, Academic director Retail Design Lab Faculty of Architecture and Arts, Hasselt University Belgium
Innovative character
Our design thinking can be translated into four pillars: analyze, reduce, reuse and recycle. We are constantly raising the bar by designing ideas for the future, challenging today's opportunities and envisioning to upgrade spaces or objects that were built in the past. We prove a different approach to interior design, made-to-measure and (re-)use of materials.
In 2011, the Scandinavian concept store Moose in the City opened its doors in the centre of Antwerp. Its owners commissioned PUUR to fit out the shop. A striking shelving system was devised for the store’s concept, which filled the entire height of the space. Conceptually, it felt like one monumental, white structure, while functionally, it worked as a flexible display system that served both to store the stock goods and to present the collection.
In the re-design process, we challenged ourselves to incorporate the monumental clothing rack structure for 100% in our new design. This meant we had to have an efficient planning for the demolition and a clear communication towards all building partners.
We challenge all our building partners to participate in this futureproof vision inviting them to co-create and pushing them to think about solutions that unite design and longterm longitivity.
