Dezeen Magazine

Kengo Kuma wraps the inside of Camper's Milan store in a timber grid

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has covered the interior of Camper's Milan store in a grid of pale ply that stretches from floor to ceiling (+ slideshow).

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

Kengo Kuma's firm was commissioned by Spanish shoe brand Camper to redesign the interior of the company's Monte Napoleone store, in the central shopping district of Milan.

The plywood grid formation the firm created divides the vertical surfaces into a series of cubby-holes for displaying shoes.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

This network spreads across the ply-backed walls of the 50-square-metre space, and creeps onto the ceiling in places. It continues across the glass shopfront, which is floored with a warm-coloured gravel, to create a window display.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

Shoes and accessories are displayed through the depth of the structure, which was designed around the dimensions of a pair of shoes.

Irregularities in the pattern accommodate the taller heights needed for displaying boots, while smaller items including shoes and handbags occupy a series of 32-by-32-centimetre compartments. 

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

"We have covered all walls around the shop with a system of very humble plywood boards mounted through the most simple and basic intersection joint we could imagine," said a statement from Kengo Kuma and Associates.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

"We have conceived this wooden board system to appear in elevation as a simple 32-by-32-centimetre grid, a dimension that simply follows the standard shoe size to display on stores," the studio said.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

Tube lights, developed in collaboration with Italian lighting designer Mario Nanni, are set into the underside of the wooden boards, accentuating the linear design and lighting the displays.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

Breaks in the latticework makes room for a cash desk, and a series of low benches are also integrated into the design, providing places for customers to sit while trying on Camper's footwear.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

The brand name "Camper" is burnt into the light-coloured wood below the counter, while the brand's red signage hangs in the upper portion of the glass shop front.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

Pebble-shaped couches upholstered in a neutral-toned hemp fabric sit on the brown stone floor. The flag-stones are made from acidified limestone, which displays signs of erosion that adds texture and variation in tone to the surface.

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

"This coexisting duality, between simple and basic at first sight, and complex and sophisticated when deeply observed, is what fascinates us from Camper's attitude towards design," said the studio. "It is this dual attitude what we have tried to imply with our design here in this Camper shop in Monte Napoleone."

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma

A mirrored wall at the back of the store reflects the complex structure to create the illusion of additional space, and conceals a door to a stockroom.


Project credits:

Design Team : Javier Villar Ruiz, Jaime Fernandez Calvache
Lighting : Mario Nanni / Viabizzuno
Stone flooring : The Other Collection by Verona Stone

Camper store Milan by Kengo Kuma
Floor plan – click for larger image