Foodvenience in Dublin

Writing a technical article is no different from writing a short story, an essay or a novella. After all, architectural projects are simply stories written in a visual language composed of images, drawings and renderings organised into an unconventional information structure. Architects thus become authors, and writers offer them their services in an attempt to translate and interpret the ideas that underpin their projects. Discussing what we see is a way of creating a new visual story through a search for underlying messages. It is therefore essential to find the right words to give the project a voice and to combine it with that of the narrator, who must search for the essence of the project in every room, in every corner, and strive to look beyond the first impressions. All architectural projects speak without words, they are a silent palette made up of all possible shades of the architect’s creativity. The supermarket chain we discuss in this article taps into the Irish tradition of local markets as places for shopping and socialising while meeting the new aesthetic and functional requirements of the 21st century.

The Fresh store locations
Ireland has a long tradition of local markets selling products from local farmers, craftsmen and street vendors, and Dublin is no exception. The first Fresh_The good food market was opened in Smithfield Village in Dublin 7, a perfect choice of location given that Smithfield Village actually originated as a market back in the seventeenth century. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor spent time here while Burton worked on a film set. The first store served as a blueprint for the other 6 outlets opened over the following 10 years, and the most recent one in Northern Cross is no exception. All the stores are built in easily accessible central locations and are clearly recognisable, a characteristic that is maintained in the interiors.

Management of the retail space
From its product selections and store design, it is obvious that this is no ordinary neighbourhood supermarket. Customers can find gourmet delicacies, fresh food and exotic specialties that are not available in ordinary Dublin supermarkets. Similarly, it’s not everywhere that one finds ceramic tiles from Italgraniti’s Marble Experience collection extending over the floor in the form of large white squares with grey frames. The result is a sensation of calm movement that accompanies customers as they do their shopping, making them feel at home in this meticulously designed, fashionable location. This porcelain tile collection, which is also used in the highly distinctive mixed strip format on the walls, represents the perfect combination of prestigious marbles, technological innovation and exclusive materials. Allowing your gaze to wander across the walls, you will notice that White Experience has been installed in different glossy and textured finishes and in a play of alternating colours that brings a sense of regularity and dynamism to the walls.

More than just a supermarket
At a time like the present, when nutrition and diet play a key role in our decisions about where, what and how much to eat, places like Fresh help people find a range of healthy, organic, fresh and hand-packed produce while avoiding highly processed foods that cause diseases such as obesity. Given their success in attracting customers to a welcoming location while promoting healthy eating, it is evident that the owners have studied the concept behind the food business down to the smallest detail and have fully achieved their goals.