The Caveman

Having as a starting point a shoe store built in the late 90’s, this new commercial space required a project designed to have great flexibility in the presentation of the products, generate a space with a strong, recognizable and repeatable image, while achieving it at a very low cost. Returning the space to its most raw characteristics exposed its most strong features: a rediscovered ceiling height and a phenomenal transparency to the street. To achieve the store’s goals, the approach had to be very pragmatic, based on a simple gesture that could organize the space in its entirety and resourcing to cost- effective solutions that wouldn’t require expensive finishes or maintenance. All in all, the entire store is composed by four materials, in their raw, pure state -pre-existent concrete, cement wood boards, galvanized steel and wood- and it's an ode to their frankness, their natural image and their intrinsic qualities. With great simplicity it was possible to produce a very rich, complex space. Though each part may appear crude when regarded individually, their ensemble results in a welcoming place of great warmth and finish, defined by the qualities of the honest, exposed materials, the carefully crafted details, its wonderful transparency and its extremely judicious lighting.