An optical-style beauty salon

Developing a project for a retail space is always a challenge for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it must be able to stand out from a series of similar shops while at the same time integrating into a visually coherent and stylistically continuous system.
Located in Portogruaro, this initially generic and anonymous commercial space was to be transformed into a beauty salon, a place devoted to wellness, personal care and relaxation.
The project was assigned to architect Stefano Pigazzani, who immediately undertook an extensive preliminary study of commercial spaces to determine the most suitable design approach. «Commercial spaces are considered heterogeneous, discontinuous spaces characterised by non-linear relationships with an increasingly close resemblance to small clusters. Their only common element is the interfaces connecting the interior and exterior as in a theatre, or as David Harvey would say ‘within a theatrical performance’. The aim of the project is to promote integration through communicative and dialectical methods that exploit its own expressive power. The volumes hosting the various functions seem almost to take flight, abandoning the well-defined spatial environment that seeks to imprison them and becoming a metaphor for visual and interpretative multiplicity.»
In terms of the composition and distribution of the spaces, the salon is divided into open and interconnected areas differentiated according to their functions through the diversification of the colours chosen for the walls and the positioning of the furniture. This approach was confirmed by the architect, who explained that «the design intention was to create a direct correlation between the various spaces and their functions, using forms strictly for functional purposes rather than as a gratuitous play of aesthetics. The demarcation between exterior and interior is filtered by the reception area, which like a theatre foyer creates a sense of anticipation ahead of the performance itself».
Specifically, the colours chosen to guide guests through the various areas of the salon are inspired by a typically 1980s optical look with contrasting black and white tones. The architect once again provided further details: «The perception of a threshold is almost entirely erased when we find ourselves surrounded by the black volumes, the iridescent flooring, the white surfaces, the colours of the products, as if by magic we had been propelled into the sales space. The rigour of the furnishing elements is offset by the white surfaces and the bright colours of the products on display, almost as though they were in a harmonious balance of light and colour.» Dominating the space and walls is the Mineral ceramic tile series from Ceramiche Brennero, chosen in the Silver version and a 60×120 cm size. The collection stands out for its metallic, iridescent and reflective effects, a choice dictated by the desire to emphasise the role of light in the project and accentuate the sequence of contrasting black and white.