With the Olympics, the American city of Atlanta has become a very lucrative place to be in a relatively short time. And one of the top names in the sunglasses market – Ray-Ban – has decided this is the place to open its first store in its 58-year history. Checkland Kindleysides has designed interiors, based on an esoteric brief to ‘communicate the essence of what has made Ray-Ban a global icon’.
The design concept, says Checkland Kindleysides director Adam Devey Smith, is a visual balance between sunlight and shade, the emotional reaction and the rational response to sunglasses. The store has been designed to be light and spacious, with the objective of creating a tension between a natural outdoor feel and a hard urban environment.
Designer Richard Whitmore says: ‘We set out to showcase the brand in all its aspects, in a way which gives consumers a journey through both the contemporary and historical values of the brand. It’s designed to entertain and stimulate through the design of discovery pieces.’
An aluminium monolith has been designed to ‘echo the elliptical forms of aviation design’, says Whitmore. The landmark sets down the roots of the brand and serves to tie together the relaxed feel with the harder urban aspects.
The Atlanta store opens next week and the consultancy is working on concepts for sites in London and New York, as well as Saudi and Dubai.
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