Siblings Gianni, Vittorio and Claudia Amati run the LEAM boutiques in the San Giovanni area of Rome which were originally founded by their father in 1950. Through the years, the stores have become the go-to address for brand-obsessed youth. Keeping abreast with the ever-evolving sensibilities of this savvy demographic, the women’s boutique saw a full transformation two years ago, and now, it’s the adjacent men’s boutique that has been given a full makeover. LEAM‘s men’s store measures a spacious 600 sqm. (6,458 sq.ft.) across the ground floor of a modern residential building, featuring an interior design by Italian practice Marco Costanzi Architects. Shoppers enter the premises via a corridor of concrete and mirrors leading to the main retail space which is centred around a striking and lush indoor garden below large skylights. The voluminous space sees a backdrop of raw concrete which makes the so-called Club space, a lush indoor garden set within a cage-like structure and intended for special retail projects and collaborations, effortlessly pop.
The side walls are lined with shelving and clothing racks of sleek black steel while the back wall features tiered glass shelving. A sculptural metal staircase leads to the second floor, and situated right behind it sits an elongated counter with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, all crafted from the same material. Interestingly, the aesthetic is a tribute to American artist Walter de Maria (1935-2013) who’s known for his range of minimalist works which explore the relationship between the relative and the absolute. A metal-clad corridor takes shoppers to the smaller front section of LEAM‘s men’s store. Featuring a similar raw concrete backdrop, the setting here is even less cluttered and is furnished with merely a marble display, clothing racks and a chunky display unit which runs along the entire façade. A second steel staircase connects this section of the store with the upper floor. As said, LEAM is a multi-brand haven, stocking a wide range of brands from fashion’s upper echelon, including Bottega Veneta, Thom Browne, Palm Angels, Y-3, Loewe and Common Projects.
LEAM
Via Appia Nuova 26 (San Giovanni)
00183 Rome
Telephone: +39 06 77207204
Mon 3.30-8
Tue-Sat 10-1.30 and 3.30-8
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.
