Concave tiles form a scallop pattern across the walls of this Barcelona shop, which Kengo Kuma has designed for footwear brand Camper.

Decked out almost entirely in ceramics, this is the second Camper retail space to be designed Kengo Kuma & Associates. Back in 2015 the Japanese architect's studio developed the interiors of the footwear brand's Milan store, which has floor-to-ceiling plywood shelves.

The Barcelona branch is situated along Passeig de Gracià, a renowned boulevard that's populated by high-end fashion boutiques and a handful of buildings designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.

Concave ceramic tiles line the peripheral walls and the front elevation of an upper volume that extends out from the rear of the store. They double up as storage niches for Camper's selection of shoes – some of them have been made slightly wider to accommodate tall boots or large accessories.

The tiles were produced by locally-based company Ceràmica Cumella, who has been in contact with the Kengo Kuma team since 2012 when they worked together on a private residence.

Curved tiles in the same terracotta-orange hue have been used to clad the store's grooved cash register counter, which sits adjacent to a mirrored partition and seating bench so that customers can comfortably trial out different shoe styles.

Pale resin has then been applied to the store's floor, blocky display plinths, and ceiling, which is fitted with rows of spotlights.

A number of high-profile studios have worked with Camper on the design of their stores. Four years ago, Nendo completed the brand's Stockholm branch, which features white resin display plinths that are shaped to resemble spirals of paper.

Camper has also collaborated with industrial designer Jasper Morrison on a range of sandals that boast the same minimalist aesthetic as tatami mats.

Photography courtesy of Kengo Kuma & Associates. Images taken by Miguel de Guzman and Rocio Romero from ImagenSubliminal.

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Project credits:

Architecture firm: Kengo Kuma & Associates
Partners in charge: Kengo Kuma, Javier Villar Ruiz
Project team: Jaime Fernandez Calvache (PM), Nicola Maniero, Ludovica Cirillo, Kimio Suzuki (visualizations)
Contractor: Norden GSE, S.L.U.
Lighting designer: Viabizzuno
Ceramist: Ceramica Cumella

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