Reiss Stratford… Sculptural Seduction Makes for a Minimalists Delight

Location: East London, Size: 4500sq.ft, Completion: 2011

Created for the 2011 opening of the retail group Westfield’s Stratford City destination in East London, d-raw’s store design for long-term retail partner Reiss borrows as much from the art world as it does a traditional retail repertoire.

Faced with the void-like space of a vast, warehouse-style unit d-raw drew inspiration from British architectural art landmarks such as the Tate Modern’s turbine hall and the White Cube gallery, to create a space both minimal and yet awe-inspiring. In the centre of the store sits a floating cube, adjoined to super-sized light-box, which appears to hover above the shop floor like an ethereal, sculptural installation. Replicating natural daylight the cube delivers an oasis of calm and serenity and is the driving force behind a current of elegant minimalism throughout the store.

The fixtures are all move-able, freestanding pieces, allowing the layout to shape-shift with ease (again referencing the transience of a gallery space) while the starkly addressed black, grey and white Tadelact (Moroccan plaster) walls, heavy-duty steelwork and pitch-black ceiling all allude to the industrial nature of the locality.

Hand painted silk panels by artist Marcus James adorn the walls, reflecting a key seasonal print design, and materials such as tulip wood, corian and Burma Grey marble provide a series of lavish top-notes.

Although overwhelmingly modernist in style it’s a sweeping glass arc finished with brass detailing which outlines the store’s entrance – hinting at the proud sense of craftsmanship and traditional artistic flair that still underscore the history of the brand.