Designed by interior design agency and consultancy Masquespacio, Rubio’s first physical retail presence is a world of pastel tones, neon glows and plant life framed within the concept of time travel. Its design taps into the publisher’s sixty year-plus history and provides an insight into what its future could look like.
‘When they [Rubio] contacted us, they told us that they wanted the store to blend the publisher’s lauded past with its unexpected future,’ explains Masquespacio creative director Ana Milena Hernández. ‘We have created a futuristic identity for Rubio using neon and methacrylate signs with bold colours that allow us to travel through time without losing the essence of the firm.’
The retail design works twofold, tapping into the nostalgia of older generations that have grown up with the publisher and engaging with a younger audience through digital technologies.
The 200 sq m interior is divided into sections for each of Rubio’s collections. The quirky interiors give way to quirky features: the mathematics space, for example, features rotating shelves that can be used as blackboards. Elsewhere, a methacrylate board allows visitors to improve their handwriting.
A number of further interactive activities can be found dotted throughout, including a peep-hole in the shop window, a roulette wheel exploring Rubio’s history, a storytelling speaker, ‘time machine’ augmented reality goggles and the highlight ‘tunnel of color’ and projection room.
‘We have sought to explain how we are a dynamic publisher open to the future and in constant evolution, but always remembering where we came from,’ states Rubio CEO Enrique Rubio. ‘In the end, our store tells our history, the life we lived and where we will continue to live. That is how we leap into the future.’ §
