Bureau de Change designed the MADE flagship store in Soho, London by re-evaluating the concept of a ‘showroom’ and incorporating technology in a way that genuinely adds value to the customer experience. Located in one of Europe’s busiest shopping districts, the new store experience begins with the external windows. Rather than displaying the product behind the glass, the glazing itself becomes a full-scale representation of the product in an intricate permanent installation. Almost 40,000 hollow clear plastic rods puncture the 10 windows of the store, to create three-dimensional ‘pinpressions’ (similar to the 1980’s executive PinArt toy) of some of MADE’s most iconic pieces of furniture.
Inside, the store blends physical product with full scale projections in a series of room sets. Customers are guided through a network of white-washed walls – curved like the pages of a book (referencing the literary history of Charing Cross Road). These walls provide a clean backdrop for the furniture and a canvas upon which products can be projected. The use of large format projections means a single room can show multiple combinations of a product, changeable on demand. This opens up the possibility for customers to experience the full product catalogue without requiring a hangar-like showroom or costly central storage facilities.
Customers are provided with tablets on which they can browse and find further product information about their favorite pieces. Alongside the digital experience, a large physical furniture sample archive provides an opportunity to touch and feel fabrics and explore color swatches to help decision-making.
