toelichting door Barde + vanVoltt
For the design of Sneaker District Antwerp, we were inspired by sneaker design, the neighborhood and how sneakers are made. This resulted in a stand-out store showcasing a strong dark grey base on top of a concrete floor combining color, different materials, a touch of nature and some savvy street styles. In contrast to the shady tones on the walls and floor, we introduced a bright pink powder color for the mesh displays and cabinets, clearly hinting to mesh used for the toes of sneakers.
The neighborhood in which the new store is located is known for its antique stores. Displaying the latest sneakers in a big old cabinet only seemed like the best idea. Moving into the store, visitors pass an outspoken mural on the left made by Vage Gasten, portraying the history and heritage of Amsterdam and Antwerp. We emphasized the length of the store with a steel tunnel with led lighting, creating a natural store journey from the entrance to the back. For the counter and the heptagon we used Marmoreal, a combination of 95% marble and 5% resin and polyester, which created a beautiful texture that reminded us of a Nike ‘Elephant Print’.
Sheltered off from the store’s activities, two comfortable luxurious dark blue navy colored velvet sofa’s (fabric by Raf Simons for Kvadrat) offer visitors a moments rest, only illuminated by Nas’ lyrics from ‘The World is Yours’. The bright neon lighting, custom created for Sneaker District states: The Nikes on my feet keep my cypher complete.
Why this is not your ordinary sneaker store? Well it's more like an art gallery for the new generation sneakerheads. It tells a story about the shifting fashion agenda, where sneakers are replacing Louboutins. Where most multi brand sneakers stores are designed to sell as much sneakers as fast as they can. Sneaker District Antwerp was designed for quite the opposite. As one of the biggest online retailers in Europe, the design focus wasn’t on creating the biggest turnover, the goal was to let customers enjoy sneaker culture and take some time off-line: 'get together, have a coffee, listen to music, check out the latest releases and perhaps try on a fresh pair.' Nevertheless, the customer is used to online shopping convenience, so we integrated iPads in the displays for customers to check storage and order online with a simple click.
To attract this generation we designed the store with several features in mind. The front of the store is easy to transform from default design to an open space for events or collabs with brands. Since music is a big part of the Sneaker District culture, we placed ‘secret' LED lightings in the store to transform the space into a night club. The stage is designed as a hang-out during the day, but can easily transform into a stage for music artists or DJ’s after office hours.
In the end, Sneaker District Antwerp is the perfect get-away for the new generation sneakerheads to interconnect whilst in search of the (next) perfect art-piece… uhm pair.
