What's next in retail architecture? One of Japan's most in-demand designers explains

Retail architecture is a shape-shifting realm, according to Japan-based French designer Gwenael Nicolas. The creative director, president and founder of studio Curiosity, Nicolas, has been at the forefront of this fast-paced field since he established his practice in 1998. With recent completions such as Rolex Ginza, Coach Ginza, Maison m-i-d and Refa's home in Tokyo under his belt, the creative is a deft hand at crafting mesmerising and personal experiences.

We caught up with Nicolas to find out more about where the world of retail architecture is heading; its present and future, challenges and opportunities.

Wallpaper*: You have been working in luxury fashion and lifestyle interiors for a big part of your career. How do you feel the landscape has changed over that time?

Gwenael Nicolas: It is a fascinating time, as all interior typologies are undergoing a shift - a constant spinning and redefinition. The retail world is seeking a more intimate relationship with the customer, taking inspiration from hospitality: stores become cafés, lounges, and social spaces. In parallel, hotels are seeking more inspiring, emotion-driven environments like fashion boutiques.

This crossover explains why I was asked to design the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Mayfair, London, following our work on several stores in the area, including Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tod’s. It is an interesting evolution, but driven less by creatives and more by marketing communication. This is why I am particularly interested in creative approaches that redefine typologies - that experiment without directly referencing existing models and instead introduce surprising and unexpected ideas.

The retail landscape in Asia — particularly in Japan, South Korea, and China — is especially inspiring: deeply rooted in cultural references, yet continuously producing strong, memorable, and experimental spaces. So, the next move will be a hotel brand or a fashion brand that creates its own world — not just through a typology shift, but through a true paradigm shift. In a way, it takes a more cinematographic approach, where customers become the actors of a play, orchestrated by the designer.

W*: Can you give me an example of a recent project where you applied something different – perhaps a new approach, material or way of thinking?

GN: I created a space for a Japanese fashion brand called 'm-i-d.' It is a concept store inside a department store in Osaka. I was inspired by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, who guides the team for each collection with a keyword that is implemented through the entire project. The keyword was 'lighthouse,' serving as a source of inspiration and guidance for the project.

Currently, local brands are not supported by the department store, as the priority is given to international brands. I wanted to create a strong impact, so I created a lighthouse – an interior entirely created with shades of yellow. We developed 20 new materials for floors, walls, and ceilings to create a really immersive, almost surreal environment.

In Japan, yellow is considered the colour of insanity, thanks to Van Gogh. It was very provocative, but it created a shockwave for the brand.

W*: How do you develop your response to a brief?

GN: Curiosity is an atelier more than a design consultant. Every new project begins with a conversation – an exchange of mutual intentions and ideas. The 'brief' does not really exist, per se, between myself and the client. Instead, what emerges is a mapping of possibilities, developed through interaction and the sharing of ideas.

This approach requires that I study the client’s dynamics in advance: their brand identity, communication, digital output, media messages and overall positioning prior to any discussion. The point is that research should happen before the conversation—first, as a form of respect for the client’s work, and second, to ensure the discussion is about what comes next, and engage the discussion with existing ideas and intentions that the client will react to, saving a lot of time.

W*: Tell us more about your most recent Rolex project.

GN: When Rolex wanted to develop the Ginza store, Japan was looking to explore the brand’s customer experience and reinforce its recognition. The brief was defined by a very precise and specific program, more than a brief, along with the freedom to explore Rolex codes into new territories. This approach led to the creation of a series of sequences and a strong narrative.

Ginza is a highly international context, so the facade itself becomes an experiment in connecting with passers-by. To create this connection, I designed an angled facade that allows viewers to see inside without reflection, presenting the products clearly—like a series of framed sequences.

The sense of locality is expressed through the detailing and tactility of the interior features, and through the re-interpretation of Rolex codes in collaboration with Japanese craft artists such as Hosoo and Design Tochi from Kyoto. We challenged traditional metal mesh finishes, usually used for kimono obi, by incorporating them into the façade glass.

We pushed the brand’s icons and elements into a minimalist and dynamic space: an all-green bar and VIP room, multi-layered semi-transparent interiors, and a digital theatre with a 360-degree film, where visitors can walk within the images that surround them.

W*: Can you elaborate a bit on the brief and design solution for your most recent Coach space?

GN: The Coach new store concept process was a rich conversation with Stuart Vevers, the creative director of Coach, who has a very strong and clear vision of what the brand should be. His sensitivity to materials, clarity of communication, and creativity were deeply inspiring.

Coach is a brand that is highly active in the digital world, successfully connecting with the Gen Z generation. The dynamism and speed of its visuals, as well as the relevance of timing in relation to product offerings, are remarkable. The challenge was to conceive a store as a relevant, timeless canvas where products are constantly presented and renewed.

I wanted to shift the focus from a pure store concept to an exercise in branding. I proposed the creation of a new icon that would synthesise all the values of Coach through a large-scale sculpture. This approach removes almost all logos and visual noise from the facade, replacing them with a large metallic cladding that evokes liquid leather, framing a floating 'c' sculpture made of fibre and paper. This icon has also been implemented in new stores in Dubai, Macao, and Kyoto.

W*: What is the retail interiors world's most pressing challenge right now? Why, and what are your thoughts in terms of overcoming it?

GN: Covid profoundly shifted the way we communicate and explain space and design logic through different media – models, live meetings and digital platforms – as digital communication has become the new norm. The image has become more important than the actual experience – more pleasing, more immediate, more satisfying.

Yet the translation of a vision into a multi-sensorial experience, whether complex or minimalist, involves a multiplicity of layers that are almost impossible to convey through images alone. The most inspiring and relevant spaces are often nearly impossible to visualise, and sometimes even to photograph.

This creates an interesting situation where there is often confusion between the dynamics of image-making and the reality of creating space. The notion of time becomes critical: is the project a pop-up for a few days or weeks, or a long-term intervention? This lack of clarity can lead to confusion - and to an overconsumption of materials, energy and effort for ephemeral effects. The acceleration of image production influences other creative fields, blurring the boundaries between what should be permanent and what should remain ephemeral.

The long-term vision is, to me, far more compelling. As Yohji Yamamoto once said: 'How can something be new enough and timeless forever?'

W*: What excites you about the future in the realm? What comes next?

GN: I am excited to witness the shift in the designer’s role in the process and development of projects. It is clear that the world is seeking new ideas—not just evolution, but true re-evolution. The designer becomes more of an initiator.

Clients now come to Curiosity to understand what is happening in the world and what is possible. This requires us to be curious about everything – from technology to craft, graphic design, space, and construction – maintaining a strong local network while also connecting beyond borders. The world is vast but easily accessible; it demands constant effort, research, and experimentation.