The American Outpost. Clermont, Kentucky
by Love, for James B Beam Distilling Co.
Despite being the world’s most recognised bourbon brand, the home and headquarters of Jim Beam had become dated and unaligned with its global status. Positioned within a 400-acre plot of land in Kentucky, upon which sits the historic Beam distillery, the main visitor centre, referred to as the American Outpost, was in dire need of a refresh.
So, Beam looked across the pond to Manchester-based design agency Love to tackle the issue. In response, the team at Love gave the American Outpost a major overhaul, updating the interior to feel contemporary and exciting once again. To pay homage to the company’s rich history in an engaging way, they put up a beautiful display of digital portraits, a large interactive board showing the various members of the Beam family, and a wall of the family’s archival items. They also updated the furniture across various sections of the centre to achieve a “raw industrial distillery vernacular with warm and welcoming mid-century American cues”, alluding to the idea of the Beam family inviting you into their historic home.
The judges said: “On brand and speaking to an authentic heritage but through a contemporary lens for the modern visitor. The storytelling is wonderful and blended with a get stuck in and entertaining approach to retail. It does what it set out to do, provide a wonderful welcome to the visitor centre, while providing both a sense of excitement and a warm farewell.”
Karl’s Fishing & Outdoors
by ChangeUp, for Karl’s Fishing & Outdoors
Situated in Fort Worth, Texas, Karl’s Fishing & Outdoors is a popular retail destination with a following of loyal customers. With the opening of its first-ever physical store last year, in 2022, it aimed to reimagine what a shop in this category could look like and offer. Working with experience agency ChangeUp, Karl brought to its customers a shopping experience like no other.
The interiors feature a mix of digitally integrated experiences, such as interactive displays that allow customers to feel and engage with different types of fishing bait. When picked up, these baits, which are attached to retractable tethers, activate a video on a screen in front of them that shows how they look and behave in water, as well as how to fish with them.
Catering to experienced and new anglers alike, the store also features a welcome fixture at the front which customers can interact with to be given a tutorial on the ins and outs of the sport. Finally, the location of Karl’s was carefully chosen, and the store is positioned right next to the Trinity River, so visitors can exit it and immediately test out their new purchases just around the corner.
Tessuti Flagship
by Counterfeit Studio, for Tessuti
Established in 1985, Tessuti is a contemporary fashion destination offering a wide range of luxury clothes and goods. In the run up to the opening of its flagship store in Liverpool in 2022, the brand commissioned London-based Counterfeit Studio to design the interior for its new home, drawing on the surroundings of the local area and the history of the brand itself.
In response, Counterfeit searched the city’s rich past for architectural inspiration, eventually coming across the now decommissioned Liverpool Overhead Railway, whose own history of world firsts closely mirrored the inception of the new store. They borrowed the arch profile of the structure and applied to the project, constructing three similar arches within the front of the façade. Elsewhere in the store, they brought in a range of classic Italian materials, such as terrazzo, tiles, brass and marble, as a nod to Tessuti’s roots in importing Italian designer brands. This was then balanced by the introduction of stainless steel furniture and fittings, which serve to add a contemporary feel to the interior, speaking to Tessuti’s future-facing ethos.
Retail Interiors
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