A Project Molded from Clay

By Editorial Staff - 5 September 2022

London is one of the world’s fashion capitals. Little wonder that the world’s top haute couture maisons have flagship stores in this town, one and sometimes more in unique, eye-catching designs.

The London flagship for Bally Haus, the historic Swiss luxury men’s and women’s shoe and clothing company, celebrates the brand’s 170-year history in a space dedicated to a unique retail experience that also embraces the art and culture world.

Flagship Store Bally Haus- © Guy Archard, courtesy Bally Il flagship store di Bally Haus è ospitato in un elegante edificio di Regent Street, una delle vie più importanti della capitale inglese. Lo stile del palazzo segue il modello proposto dall’architetto John Nash, uno dei protagonisti della cosiddetta architettura della “reggenza”, caratterizzata da uno stile neoclassico.

The 400-sq. m space is in an elegant building on Regent Street, one of the capital’s main shopping streets. Cadenced by large pilasters and moldings that frame the windows and cornices, the historic façade highlights the store’s elegance from afar.

Seen Displays studio conceived the interior design to convey the brand’s values, Swiss tradition, and London’s historical legacy in a timeless design that appeals to a luxury, brand-affiliated clientele.The main design theme was London’s geological history, specifically London clay, a key material throughout the city’s history: clay as used to make bricks for typical English houses, the clay through which the famous Tube connects all of the city’s boroughs, clay found along the banks of the Thames...

Flagship Store Bally Haus- © Guy Archard, courtesy Bally Il pavimento del negozio, in marmo, gioca con la palette di colori utilizzata per gli arredi: a elementi in marmo bianco sono accostati marmi di colore rossiccio che richiamano il colore della terracotta usata per gli arredi.

Most of the furniture and displays are made of terracotta, in a color palette that revolves around this element, with references to famous London-born painter J. W. Turner’s landscape paintings of the Swiss Alps. The more “textural” furnishings are complemented by furnishing accessories – bookends, shoe displays – made from high-density polyethylene and polypropylene extracted from recycled plastic, veritable works of art created by local artist James Shaw in celebration of materials innovation and circular design.

The juxtaposition of plastic and terracotta elements creates visual contrasts that nevertheless chime with Bally Haus’s lines. The abundant natural light filtering in through the display cases is amplified by reflections on the light marble floor; the color palette references nature as man perceives it.

Flagship Store Bally Haus- © Guy Archard, courtesy Bally Gli interni sono caratterizzati da una palette cromatica pastello sui toni del grigio, dell’azzurro, del rosa, modulata sul colore dell’elemento principale usato negli arredi, la terracotta.

Multimedia elements were specially designed for the space, enhancing its natural textures and tones. Filmed with the store’s esthetic in mind, digital campaign content was conceived not to distract customers during their shopping experience.

Part of the flagship store’s new shopping experience is that it doubles as a multifunctional venue for cultural programming, such as film screenings and exhibitions. Events include an exhibition of sculptures by London-based artist Zuza Mengham, whose work explores the connections between traditional craftsmanship and new methods of production – values Bally Haus and its unique collections have long expressed.

Bally Haus Flagship Store - © Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally | The Bally Haus flagship store is in an elegant building on Regent Street, one of the English capital’s best-known shopping streets. The building is in the style developed by architect John Nash, one of the leading figures in neoclassical “regency” architecture.

Bally Haus Flagship Store - © Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally | Celebrating the circular economy and reusing materials, many of the furnishings were made of recycled plastic, notably, high-density polyethylene and propylene artworks created by London-based artist James Shaw.

Bally Haus Flagship Store - © Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally | The store’s marble floor interacts with the color palette chosen for the furnishings: white marble elements juxtapose with reddish-colored marble reminiscent of the terracotta used for the furnishings.

Bally Haus Flagship Store - © Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally

Bally Haus Flagship Store - © Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally | The interiors feature a pastel color palette in shades of gray, light blue and pink, modulated by the color of terracotta, the pre-dominant element in the furnishings.

Location: London, UK
Client: Bally
Completion: 2021
Gross Floor Area: 235 m²
Interior Designer: Seen Displays
Materials Consultants: James Shaw, Armourcoat, AD Baker

Photography: Guy Archard, courtesy of Bally

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