‘The shops we frequent define our family lives and personal rituals,’ writes Sofia Borges in the preface of new retail tome, The Shopkeepers.
While offering a snapshot of some of the world’s most beautiful stores, from shoe shops to tobacconists, Borges and her fellow editors, Sven Ehmann and Robert Klanten, probe the question – what is the future of retail in the digital age? And how can storefront businesses stay relevant in the face of throw-away culture, economic uncertainty and changing tastes.
Here are six international stores offering something you can’t experience with the click of a mouse…
Via Garibaldi 12 lifestyle store, Genoa
Part concept store, part traditional retailer, this Italian shop has become a favoured destination for design buffs all the way up to royalty. Via Garibaldi 12 is spread across eight rooms of a 16th-century Baroque palazzo. Each space is stocked with items ranging from furniture and lighting to tableware designed by the likes of Tom Dixon, Hermès et al, as well as up-and-coming Italian designers.
Photography: Bernard Touillon
Via Garibaldi 12 lifestyle store, Genoa
Part concept store, part traditional retailer, this Italian shop has become a favoured destination for design buffs all the way up to royalty. Via Garibaldi 12 is spread across eight rooms of a 16th-century Baroque palazzo. Each space is stocked with items ranging from furniture and lighting to tableware designed by the likes of Tom Dixon, Hermès et al, as well as up-and-coming Italian designers.
Photography: Bernard Touillon
Hivernacle botanical nursery is one of Barcelona’s best hidden secrets. Housed in a restored Victorian factory – designed by industrial architect Joseph Amargós for the 1888 World Fair – the sprawling 1,000 sq m complex is an urban oasis filled with greenery. Huge skylights flood the brick and steel structure with natural light, creating the perfect conditions for a broad range of plants including flowers, cacti, tropical and fruit trees. Beyond the botanical, the space also hosts concerts and exhibitions, and sells some of the best coffee in the city from its cafe.
Photography: Ana Santl
Hivernacle botanical nursery is one of Barcelona’s best hidden secrets. Housed in a restored Victorian factory – designed by industrial architect Joseph Amargós for the 1888 World Fair – the sprawling 1,000 sq m complex is an urban oasis filled with greenery. Huge skylights flood the brick and steel structure with natural light, creating the perfect conditions for a broad range of plants including flowers, cacti, tropical and fruit trees. Beyond the botanical, the space also hosts concerts and exhibitions, and sells some of the best coffee in the city from its cafe.
Photography: Ana Santl
Brothers Kamiel and Martijn Blom founded their eponymous store in Amsterdam in 2012. The 1,935 sq ft space doubles as a storeroom and workshop in which the pair restore and modernise reclaimed furniture, clocks, lighting and objects sourced from former Eastern Bloc factories.
Photography: Matei Plesa
Brothers Kamiel and Martijn Blom founded their eponymous store in Amsterdam in 2012. The 1,935 sq ft space doubles as a storeroom and workshop in which the pair restore and modernise reclaimed furniture, clocks, lighting and objects sourced from former Eastern Bloc factories.
Photography: Matei Plesa
Publishing house Gestalten opened their concept store and cafe on the roof terrace of Berlin’s iconic Bikini-Haus in 2014. The company’s publisher Robert Klanten and his wife, architect Lena Klanten, designed the 5,700 sq ft space, mixing soft wood and concrete finishes. As well as Gestalten’s book titles, the store has been curated with wares from jewellery to homewares, designed by emerging and international creatives.
Photography: Yves Sucksdorff
Dating back to 1836, the House of Hajenius has been a fixture on Amsterdam’s Rokin Boulevard since 1915, and is one of the world’s oldest cigar houses. The purpose-built store was designed by the brothers Van Gendt and retains almost all of its original Art Deco features. The rooms are fitted with Italian marble, wood, and ornate chandeliers. Smoking might be out of fashion, but Hajenius remains a popular institution in the Dutch capital.
Photography: PGC Hajenius
Dating back to 1836, the House of Hajenius has been a fixture on Amsterdam’s Rokin Boulevard since 1915, and is one of the world’s oldest cigar houses. The purpose-built store was designed by the brothers Van Gendt and retains almost all of its original Art Deco features. The rooms are fitted with Italian marble, wood, and ornate chandeliers. Smoking might be out of fashion, but Hajenius remains a popular institution in the Dutch capital.
Photography: PGC Hajenius
Expats Drew Bates, Jeff Lui and Tyler Bower relocated to Shanghai in 2009, but it was a chance encounter on the street that brought them together. The trio began cycling together and organising events for the city’s cycling scene – a year later they set up Factory 5 in a disused warehouse so they could restore and sell old Chinese bikes together. Five years on, the company has evolved into cycleware and accessories, and has even opened a clubhouse in their warehouse space, redesigned by studio Linehouse Design last year.
Photography: Benoit Florencon
‘The Shopkeepers: Storefront business and the future of retail’ is out now via Gestalten
