Emotional retail design: a mix of comfort and urban charm

Emotional retail design: a mix of comfort and urban charm

The idea behind the Nannini eyewear showroom in Reggio Emilia is the will to express the concept of fine Italian production intrinsic to the company’s DNA. The designer, architect Gualtiero Sacchi, has succeeded in transforming an industrial space with limited potential into a bright, stylish and contemporary environment, by adding new architectural and decorative elements.

The design of the arches, which create interplays of full and empty spaces, has added a dynamic momentum to the space, defining and framing the showroom area, that of the reception and the rest of the layout. Lamps in glass and brass have been chosen to mellow the environment and bathe it in a warm glow, enhanced by seats and drapes in velvet, and a marble table and counter.

“The idea of the large arched doorways was conceived to give the showroom a distinctive aesthetic and foster an emotional experience on the part of the consumer. They are an iconic symbol of Italian architecture, expressed to maximum effect in the monument to Rationalism embodied by the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in the EUR district”.

The Flora wallcovering by Glamora decorates the spaces dominated by the arched doorways, accentuating the sense of comfort and giving patrons the impression of looking on to a lush secret garden, discovered step by step as they move through the showroom. The materiality, texture and opacity of the wallcovering offer a contrast to the soft, glossy, reflective tonality of the doors. In collaboration with the Glamora Bespoke Design Service, the colour was warmed up slightly to make a perfect match with the antique rose colour scheme. Additionally, the original design was adapted within each mirrored surface, so that the backlit walls on which the eyewear is displayed would not completely cover the decoration.

Gualtiero Sacchi Design