A Contrasted Space

The new flagship store from Lurdes Bergada, Syngman Cucala, is now installed in one of the best shoppingmalls in the city centre, L’Illa Diagonal.

The Lurdes Bergada & Syngman Cucala project challenge was to follow an exploration of a new vocabulary, a research on different architectural codes in retail.

The store is divided into two clearly defined areas that, on the one hand, link every technical aspect of a clothes store behind a wooden skin and on the other hand, keep clothes as the main element in the shop. The project seeks to preserve the common characteristics of Lurdes Bergada & Syngman Cucala’s existing spaces: industrial, enigmatic and minimalistic, adding a touch of contemporaneity in its architecture.

In terms of interior design, the space was opened to allow a crossed view onto the shopping mall’s park. This decision would give clients the perception of shopping in a place full of natural light, as if they were in a street store.
Thus the park appears as another decorative and interactive piece of the shop. The back façade attracts clients from the park in the same way the interior façade of the shopping centre does.

All the technical functions of the store (storage, fitting rooms, electrical quarter, and a 2nd small window) were brought together in a huge unique timber structure made from 1000 pieces of wood and assembled together with 2400 screws. The wooden skin allows all large structures to be hidden, and leaving the roof clear.

From it’s interior, the skin reveals to visitors all its extremely technical constructive secrets, bringing to mind fabric, turn-ups, stitching, etc… This reflects the real importance of technique in clothes making and enhancing the concepts transmitted by the brand: simplicity, purity, and industry. The skin is formalised with irregular triangles that make it appear like a contemporary cave. Each triangle is unique and numbered to make the construction easier.

Most existing stores of Lurdes Bergada & Syngman Cucala preserve traces of the history of the buildings in which they are installed. The project also tried to respect the original context and to reinforce the industrial characteristics of the building. Basic materials such as concrete for the walls and fine cement on the floor were used to simplify the architectonic reading of the store and to strengthen the concept. The bench of natural wood is confronted with the opposite concrete wall.

Lurdes Bergada and his son Syngman Cucala are well known for the functionality and high quality clothes they design for women and men. The brand is present in spanish market until 1978, when they open their first store.

Syngman Cucala is represented internationally in multi-brands stores all over the world, France, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, and United-States.

With this ultimate launch store in l’illa Diagonal, Barcelona, the brand consider reinforce it’s capacity to renew constantly itself, and follow avant-guarde in retail and design.

Design: Dear Design, Ignasi Llauradó, Eric Dufourd

Design Team: Dorien Peeters, Xyloformas – Juan Carlos Jaramillo, Mateo Castillo

External collaborator and team builder: Xyloformas – Juan Carlos Jaramillo, Mateo Castillo
www.xyloformas.com

Photography: Pol Cucala

Reviews:

www.thecoolhunter.net
www.dezeen.com
www.archdaily.com

Books:

Detail in Contemporary Retail Design – by Drew Plunkett & Olga Reid
www.laurenceking.com