Image Credit : Mel Yates Photography
http://melyates.com/CONTACT/1/caption
Project Overview
Seeking a stronger presence in Europe, Sonos decided to open its first flagship store outside of the U.S. in London’s Seven Dials neighborhood. The first retail location in Europe would celebrate the city’s multicultural music and art scene. The store is intended to be a vessel for art and cultural events to engages music lovers and immerse the visitor in Sonos’ sound quality and brand experience. Customers can listen to music in the comfort of the “listening pods,” or share the audio experience in the lounge areas; designed as cozy “home-like” environments throughout the store. Product display areas are integrated with artwork and an event space plays home to live entertainment. Each room is acoustically designed to highlight the sound quality of Sonos’ products, while integrating seamlessly into the interior finishes.
We built a strong relationship with Sonos through our work with their team designing the Sonos branded pop-up “listening pods” in West Elm locations across the U.S., so they naturally engaged our team to create the next level of experiential spaces. To help expand their presence in Europe and create this hybrid space, Sonos enlisted our services to develop a global retail strategy and a scalable deployment plan. We assembled a team of partners overseas to collaborate on the challenges of establishing a prototype design that could be rolled out internationally. Berlin was chosen as their second European store location because of the city’s reputation as a mainland mecca of music and art
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Bergmeyer
Architecture, Interior Design, Brand Strategy, Program Implementation
www.bergmeyer.com
617-542-1025
Work Order
Brand identity, Graphic design, Art selection, Creative consulting
http://www.work-order.co/
646-705-0027
Dynamic Resources
Architect of Record, General Contractor
http://dynamiceu.com/
+44 (0) 207 492 6532
Black Box
Technology
https://www.blackbox.com/en-us
+44 (0) 118 965 6088
Cornerstone Agency:
Art Installations
www.cornerstoneagency.com
+44.0.207.729.2637
Deadgood
Furniture Rep
http://www.deadgoodltd.co.uk/
+44 (0) 203 371 0214
Camille Walala
EXR artwork (listening rooms)
http://camillewalala.com/
Neil Raitt
EXR artwork (listening rooms)
https://www.instagram.com/neil_raitt/
Mel Yates Photography
http://melyates.com/CONTACT/1/caption
Kingsmen
Retail millwork
http://www.kingsmen-int.com/
(65) 688 000 88
Showman Fabricators
EXR millwork (listening rooms)
https://showfab.com/
+1 (718) 935 9899
Project Brief
Every room in the space is equipped with an optimized sound environment, including the basement, which serves as a live event space. The goal was to create a comfortable flow to the space and room setups, and maximize use of the floor plate. Our team focused on creating lounge-like areas to encourage customers to relax and enjoy their listening experience. The addition of the basement area maximized the use of space and added an additional lounge area for customers. Incorporating the latest acoustical technologies, floating acoustic panels are either hidden behind the artistic setting or blended seamlessly into the design. Materials specified for the space – from carpeting, to wall and ceiling applications – are incorporated as design elements that also improve the sound quality. Visitors to the space can stream their music choices between two “listening rooms” that replicate a home-listening experience. Now a recognizable staple of their stores, we improved upon the designs of past listening rooms and made them adaptable to other stores. Two London-based artists, Camille Walala and Neil Raitt, contributed their signature styles to each room, and are the first of many artists that will be displayed in the space. The London store succeeds as a destination for music fans and art enthusiasts.
Project Innovation/Need
Building upon the success of their urban concept store in NYC, Sonos has been seeking to expand their presence in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. It was clear that Sonos needed more than store design; they needed a global implementation strategy. Our design team began our collaboration with Sonos by identifying the company’s three core focus areas: home environments, innovative technology, and immersive brand experience. After gaining a thorough understanding of their culture and values, we went to work on developing the Sonos plan. We presented them with narratives, schedule and cost estimates, and a picture of the executive structure needed for Sonos to do anything from fully deployable pop-up shops, through urban concept stores anywhere in the world.
Design Challenge
Sonos wanted to create a global and scalable marketing strategy. We helped them to create a strategic retail plan that could be deployed globally. To tackle the challenges of working on stores outside of the U.S., we assembled a global team for the creation and branding of the London store. Working with partners that were local to the London area helped us to better navigate through the local building code and zoning rules. One of the main design challenges was to create a comfortable flow to the space and room setups, and maximize use of the floor plates. We focused on creating lounge-like areas throughout the space, encouraging customers to relax and enjoy their listening experience while also being able to accommodate a sizeable crowd.
Sustainability
The design of the London store can be described as fluid, modern, and efficient. The acoustic elements are interwoven throughout the space, being used for both practical and aesthetic purposes. The furniture throughout the space was ordered from local vendors, which helped to reduce the store’s carbon footprint.
Interior Design - Retail
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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