If it seems like there’s no cohesion among the retail shops of Spanish company Camper, that is the intent. Bent on presenting a unique experience in every store, the trendy shoe brand collaborates with different architects, designers, and artists: Its roster of past collaborators includes the Bouroullec brothers, Shigeru Ban, Jaime Hayon, and Konstantin Grcic, among many others. The result is a collection of diverse interiors connected by really only one common thread—the brand’s signature red color. For its Granada store, Camper selected Madrid-based A-cero, led by principals Joaquin Torres and Rafael Llamazares, who in turn used the color to seemingly carve out a space located on the pedestrian-only Calle de los Mesones.

Working with a little more than 500 square feet, A-cero opted to create a dynamic backdrop that evokes movement, which also strikes a chord with the brand message as it emphasizes life as a journey: Its ad campaigns have heralded slogans such as “The Walking Society” and “Imagination Walks.” Llamazares adds that “the fluid and organic design was also inspired by the curves of a foot.”

Sinous curves enliven the interior
Pedestrians first glimpse the cavernous space through amorphous windows in a red aluminum-and-composite storefront. The glossy hue then weaves into the store space on all sides: On the floor, ribbons of Bolon vinyl flooring form the main circulation path. Above, the ceiling almost mirrors the floor below with curving red and white bands rendered in lacquered wood. Red paint coats the undulating walls, while its cantilevered shelving and floor units underneath—all of which hug the walls—are also white lacquered wood. LED lighting creates the illusion that the display fixtures are floating.

To break up the space without disrupting the flow, the architects inserted a central element where the ceiling’s red canopy curves downward and branches out in two directions as it meets the floor. One arm forms a simple bench for customer seating; the other becomes a cash-wrap desk. The checkout counter integrates a transaction screen to adhere to the shop’s overall minimalist aesthetic. At the back of the store, full-height mirrors conceal a small stock room and also visually expand the space.

Looking as though a river cut through the store, the canyon-like interior achieves the individuality the client desires and, in keeping with the Camper brand culture, presents a journey for shoppers to traverse and experience.

Camper Granada
Designer A-cero
Client Calzados Rossellis, S.L.
Where Granada, Spain
What 517 total square feet on one floor
Cost/sf Withheld at client’s request

SOURCES

Architect: A-cero. Architecture project team: Joaquin Torres; Rafael Llamazares.
Interior designer: A-cero. Contractor: Obras y Otras Cosas S.L.
Lighting: A-cero.
Engineering: A-cero.
Graphics: A-cero.
Acoustician: A-cero.