A RETAIL DESIGN PAYING TRIBUTE TO MAYAN CULTURE
ARCHITECTURE STORE TOUR
Today, physical stores must meet one law: the in-store experience. In order to counter the growth of e-commerce, they must stand out where online commerce finds its limits. But at what cost? First of all, retailers made the mistake of “gadgeting” their sales areas, a debauchery of technology that most of the time proved to be flawed.
Second of all, they faced a consumer in search of meaning, more responsible but nevertheless demanding. In response, the players in physical commerce have to revise their copies to make them bigger, more beautiful and more experiential, often to the detriment of the environment.
A CONCEPT WHERE NATURE HAS TAKEN BACK ITS RIGHTS
The Zak Ik concept, inaugurated in January 2018 and located in the Azulik Hotel in Tulum, Mexico, seems to have found the perfect balance between experience and sustainability. On 380 square meters, it’s entirely made of wood from the Yucatan Peninsula and blends in perfectly with the surrounding jungle.
THE SURROUNDING JUNGLE AS RAW MATERIAL
Designed by Roth Architecture, the retail design of the store is totally adapted to its environment and not the other way around. The customer walks through the space under the wooded arches, through tunnels of natural leaves, water mirrors or green spaces.
SUSTAINABLE & ANCESTRAL CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES
Moreover, the construction, which is certainly sustainable, is also social since it was carried out by Mayan craftsmen, according to ancestral processes. Also, with the aim of rehabilitating this local indigenous know-how.
A UNIQUE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Here, the experience is lived barefoot where the polished concrete floor acts as a path. This way, the latter is totally immersed in the history of the brand, which has chosen to put the jungle at the heart of its concept, as it is both an integral part of the overall structure and of the interior design.
PRODUCTS DISPLAYED AS WORKS OF ART
Finally, the hybrid offer of the concept is particularly highlighted: fashion, arts, jewellery, design etc. The different products are displayed as works of art paying hommage to both local crafts and Mayan history. We can say that the brand has taken the opposite approach to this overbidding of digital innovations by advocating the opposite: a return to the roots in its purest form.
Increasingly, environmental issues are weighing heavily in distributors’ decision-making. Sustainability now applies to every step in the construction of a concept. From the location, to the choice of materials, to the general appearance of the structure, etc., sustainability is now applied at every stage of the construction of a concept. More and more industry leaders are setting an example by proposing concepts that are in line with new consumer habits. This is the case of the Starbucks brand with its ECOPARK concept, inaugurated at the beginning of 2020.
Click on the image to discover the concept:
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