BURA Design Store

Location: Rijeka
Year: 2017
Investor: private
Associates: Svjetlana Despot & Martina Babić, interior design
Photo: Petar Fabijan

conceptual design + construction project

The story of Bura was born in a family with a mother and daughter who are passionate for Croatian fashion and Rijeka’s punk-rock scene, which is why they decided to start a different story in their town. Bura Design Store primarily deals with the sale of clothing from Croatian fashion brands, but the guiding thread of the entire project was the desire to also host various gatherings related to the local community. It is a space of forty square meters for the display of four fashion brands of women’s clothing, which can be easily transformed in case of organized events. The elongated rectangular space is organized very strictly and completely symmetrically.

At the very entrance, as the first point of contact with clients, there is a desk. Deliberately oversized, it plays a double role being also used as a bar. Along the walls of the boutique there are fixed structures for the display of clothes, designed as fragile lines of black steel rods that, in contrast to the white, shiny latex walls, seem to float in space. When there are no clothes, , these structures reamin in front of the walls as a subtle sign of the basic function of the space. As we enter the space, the scenography unfolds to the final accent, the black shiny monolith of the wardrobe, which rises above the soft yellow screen placed in the foreground. By fully opening the changing cabin and moving the screen, the space can be deepened and opened for the needs of holding a fashion show or redefined for the needs of various gatherings. The entire design project, from conceptual sketches to execution, is marked by the extremely pleasant and productive collaboration of six women from two generations, a perfect combination of experience and youthful enthusiasm.