latest project is the physical manifestation of just what this dynamic design practice does best – define the experiential. With a pared back and sophisticated interior, Above The Clouds, a new retail establishment on Sydney’s Crown Street creates the atmosphere to touch, try and buy, but most of all, enjoy the shopping experience.
In 2021 while most retail was closed, Above The Clouds directors Dimitri Calligeros and John Paul Wager were formulating a plan – to take their online business success during the pandemic to the High Street with a bold new store. The commission to design a bespoke home for the brand was awarded to Pattern Studio, well-known for its clean, minimal aesthetic and deep understanding of the retail world. The result is a carefully curated interior where product is, of course, the hero, but the surroundings complement the offerings to outstanding advantage.
Lead designers Josh Cain and Lily Goodwin have created an environment that speaks of the brand and its evolution, combining the playful with the sophisticated to add just the right amount of tempo to the atmosphere.
Above The Clouds is located on a fan-shaped site that provides street-side exposure to Crown Street and interest for the passing parade of people. There are two floors, ground and first level, and a stair accesses these at the rear. The product offering at Above The Clouds is myriad and the customer base diverse. With this in mind, Cain and Goodwin have created an interior with a dual personality, a store that is cool and spacious but also inviting and welcoming – a place that speaks of style but also encourages you to try everything on!
These two aspects of the design are also reflected in the materiality that is both polished and raw, as well as in the detailing where the rudimentary happily co-exists with the refined. There are finishes such as scaffolding, steel strapping and pine timber that are equally at home with the beautifully crafted sky-blue Point of Sale counter that references the colourways of the Bearbrick by Japanese cult toy brand MediCom. While the butter yellow eyewear cabinet takes centre stage on the wall and showcases the spectacles perfectly.
However, the pièce de resistance, and design hero of the project, is the Sneaker Wall. Spanning eight metres, this homage to sneakers is a triumph of display and is certain to become a place of reverence for aficionados.
While the colour palette is cream-based, the pops of colour in furniture and accessories lift the design to another level. Timber in cabinets, steel and glass in fixtures and fittings and polished concrete floors all come together with finesse and define and encapsulate the brand.
Pattern Studio has achieved a fine design for Above The Clouds, taking the brand to the next level and creating a retail experience that will ensure customers return time and again. Above The Clouds is where contemporary elegance meets youthful exuberance, and this retail establishment stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Pattern Studio
Photography
Traianos Pakioufakis
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