Westwing Ipanema

Superlimão designed the architectural design for Westwing's new physical stores in Rio de Janeiro, located in Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca. The guiding concept for the redesign was to incorporate the omnichannel approach through architecture, providing a store experience as close as possible to the customer experience on the brand's website: easy to navigate, with quick access to the spaces and better visualization of the items the customer wants to buy, with these items prominently displayed in the physical space. Inspired by a strategy of flexibility and modularity, similar to that used in theater stages, this concept was implemented using a 60x60 grid on the floor and ceiling that defines the sizes of the spaces and displays. This allows for easy assembly and disassembly of rooms based on each store's needs, catering to the display of a diverse product mix. The floor grid also serves a practical and useful purpose for those visiting the store in search of inspiration: it helps customers understand the dimensions of the store's display areas, allowing them to compare the proportions of the products on display with their home's space. With this flexibility in mind, the display shelves were designed to accommodate any size of objects and are easy to handle. Those that accommodate a greater variety of products were designed with a counterweight system that facilitates shelf movement. The shelves can be positioned at any height, easily performed by a single employee. Also inspired by the concept of a theater, the lighting proposed for the displayed products is provided by pantographic reflectors that resemble a stage. The ceiling grid, made from a profiled mesh, allows lighting to be positioned anywhere in the store or even to support other elements such as separating screens, visual communication, or a product, thus achieving greater layout flexibility. With the products as the focal points, the architectural design was based on the use of neutral tones throughout most of the store, with bolder colors only in prominent areas. The choice was based on white metalwork, Mauve solid wood, gray granulated flooring, exposed concrete, and a natural metal grid. The new Westwing stores also feature computers and tablets that allow customers to expand their in-store experience into the virtual world and vice versa, connecting and complementing the two dimensions. New stores: Westwing Ipanema - Located in one of Rio de Janeiro's most iconic neighborhoods, facing Nossa Senhora da Paz Square, the project's concept is to create a visual interaction between the store and the outdoor area and vice versa. The proposed facade features elements that attract attention both day and night from those passing by on the street or in the square, inviting customers to enter. Another point that reinforces this concept is the landscape formed by the treetops, which can be seen from every floor of the store, complementing the ambiance of the products on display. Because the store is divided into different floors, the main challenge was communicating to the customer right at the beginning of their journey all the products available in the store. To achieve this, installations were placed on the 12-meter high ceiling, which help tell the brand's story and showcase much of the brand's product range. ----------