Thinking of Rio, images of glorious sun-drenched beaches instantly pop up. It’s this geophysical condition that has not only provided Cariocas a laidback lifestyle, but also a beach culture that’s renowned across the planet. Tapping right into the latter domain is Marcella Franklin, a Brazilian designer who creates women’s swimwear with a modern twist. The brand, called Haight, is distinctly contemporary and versatile, allowing its savvy fanbase to transition from beach to cocktail bar at the blink of an eye. Taking her business to the next level, Franklin has recently opened the first Haight boutique in Leblon, an upscale seaside area of Rio de Janeiro, replete with an eponymous beach that’s as iconic as neighbouring Ipanema and Copacabana.
The store occupies an 80 sqm. (861 sq.ft.) ground floor of a high-rise residential building, and features an interior design by São Paulo-based architecture practice MNMA. The space comes with a massive pillar right in the middle, and the main challenge was to create a setting that oozes an artisanal quality, and incorporate this unavoidable element. To accomplish the artisanal, handcrafted atmosphere, the architecture practice collaborated with Brazilian home decoration retailer Passalacqua on developing organic and clay-based cement and paints.
Interestingly, both the façade of the Haight store and the sidewalk outside have been included in the design to create an increased coherence and heighten the immersive experience for shoppers. The aforementioned pillar has been encased in glass, and connects to the ground floor by way of a curved staircase made from slabs of concrete, creating a mezzanine level with additional floor space. The back wall is embellished by recessed cavernous shapes that correspond with the few selected furnishings and objects. Thick brass wire meanders along the wall on either side of the boutique, and serves as a clothing rack to display the latest Haight designs. Location: Haight, Rua Dias Ferreira 217 (Leblon).
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.