The event that combines two of our favourite subjects – architecture and shopping – is back, with the RIBA launching its 2018 Regent Street Windows designs. Now in its eighth year, the competition involves the RIBA inviting a selection of architecture practices from its members’ pool to create the most striking, welcoming and clever window displays for a number of stores on London’s Regent Street, one of the capital’s busiest retail destinations.
Offerings this year are as diverse and exciting as ever. Emerging practice Red Deer have partnered with Uniqlo to create an installation that depicts a journey through the making of the brand’s signature linen line, resulting in a colourful, circular piece. Across the street, KSR completely transformed the two large windows at Lululemon with a dynamic design that draws on the movement of the human body, adding a splash of colour, which continues inside, drawing the visitor in. The piece created by Thomas-McBrien Architects, in collaboration with artists Paper & Wood, is on display at Jo Malone London, and promises to take the visitor through a journey through an English garden, featuring signature smells from the perfume brand.
The nearby L‘Occitaine store made the most of its corner location with an eye-catching installation by young architect Nicholas Szczepaniak, who worked with the colours and feelings of the Golden Hour in Provence, orchestrating a spectacle of light and scent that comes alive at night and is reflected on the adjacent arch. Freehaus teamed up with Camper in a geometric excavation that aptly references the shoe company’s roots in Mallorca.
Coffey Architects’ offering can be found further down the street in the Smeg window; here, the firm used an element of the company’s well-known product, its cast iron pan stand, to compose an elegant geometric grid that highlights their client’s work in a visually captivating and architectural way. On the opposite end of Regent Street, 7 For All Mankind make the most of their unique kinetic installation courtesy of boutique architecture studio Canal Grande.
Coffey Architects with SMEG have just been announced winners of the coveted Best Collaboration Award, while L’Occitane with Nicholas Szczepaniak Architects was highly commended for the same category. The People’s Choice award went to Jo Malone London with Thomas-McBrien Architects with Paper & Wood.
