Gucci is yet another luxury brand that has re-opened the doors to its newly refreshed store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Spanning two floors with a combined footage of 10,555 sq ft, the store showcases a wide selection for both men and women, including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, jewellery, and accessories, as well as Gucci Décor and the recently launched Gucci Lifestyle collection.
With a look that invites customers to feel welcome and relaxed, the architecture and interior design is discreet. Soft elements, like velvet armchairs and sofas and the ebony wooden staircase offset harder surfaces and industrial features, such as rivets. Contemporary luxury is suggested not only by the employment of beautiful and idiosyncratic materials, but also through a determinedly spare use of space. In keeping with the elegant and contemporary eclecticism that characterises Gucci’s collections, the store sees the combination of traditional and modern, industrial and romantic. The concept effortlessly complements the product offer from the House.
Contrasting merchandising elements represent different design codes, and these meld to inspire curiosity, encouraging customers to feel like they are constantly discovering new aspects of the store.
Each Gucci store is therefore a 'cabinet of curiosities', created to delight and surprise.
The mood of the interior is one of discretion, where understated drama is created by the surprising and unexpected combination of materials. Juxtaposition of this sort, where opposites forge a new connection, is repeated ubiquitously: technical, mechanical display contrast with the softness of the rich fabrics that adorn the rooms; wooden tables with velvet tops and the mosaic timber floor complement the pink and green Moire-upholsted boiserie.
Throughout the store one finds sumptuous chairs and sofas, while vintage oriental rugs are layered over each other for a textured effect. The newly renovated exteriors strike a strong visual impression: dark green and optical pattern marble coat the façade. The juxtaposition of different marble inlays and LED illumination conveys dynamism to the building’s contemporary look.
Alongside the staircase features the first in-store Artwall display in South Asia Pacific. Local textile artist, Kelly Limerick was commissioned a 3D mixed-media artwork recalling the mood and designs of the Aria collection. Stretching her craft beyond predictable patterns unbound to geometrical parameters, Limerick’s work and attention to detail complement the eclectic, contemporary, and romantic aesthetic true to Gucci.
Inspired by the unexpected urban intervention to natural elements, the work of art implements the use of different materials and techniques playing with lights and shadows. The combination of traditional filet lace crochet customised with the "GG" monogram and reflective glass mosaic tiles juxtapose to the décor of the store, creating the refined illusion of a floating wall. The result is a space that entices surprises and feels personal to Gucci.
As part of Gucci's commitment to implement and enhance eco-friendly initiatives and energy-efficient technologies in the House’s stores worldwide, the new store is LEED certified.
