These days, luxury monobrand stores have pretty much popped up in all leading cities across the planet, dominating that specific segment of the retail scene, but if you ask us, what actually makes a good shopping destination, is the presence of a well-assorted department store or multi-brand boutique. As of late, Berlin has gained a veritable treasure trove of style trophies—APROPOS. Founded in 1984 by Cologne-based entrepreneurs Klaus Ritzenhöfer und Daniel Riedo, the retail company has since expanded nationwide, and the newest outpost on Kurfürstendamm, the German capital’s undisputed golden mile of luxury shopping, is very much the jewel in the crown.
Adding to the growing cluster of illustrious fashion houses such as Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Dior and Louis Vuitton, all settled just a stone’s throw away, the APROPOS flagship store occupies no less than 870 sqm. (9,365 sq.ft.) spread across the two levels inside the landmark Alhambra building, an ornate former theatre built in the early 1920s according to plans of architect Max Bischoff. Mind you, this is also the location where the world’s first audio film premiered in 1922. The building has since had an eventful history, seeing different purposes, occupants, and also conversions, while it was also badly damaged in the aftermath of World War II.
Following a meticulous restoration and redevelopment by German architecture practice Tchoban Voss, the Alhambra building not only regained its former glory, but also transformed into a complex offering living, working and shopping at the highest level. Needless to say, the interior design of the APROPOS store takes clues, albeit in a subtle way, from the building’s architecture. Elegant dome awnings adorn the store’s arched windows and entrances, while inside, the contemporary settings see subtle reference of the building’s original purpose. The premises see four distinct sections, each offering understating yet inviting settings which incite to explore the showcased trophies.
The materials used, all carefully selected, are minimalist and high quality, resulting in a visually coherent backdrop that’s spiced up with a set of alternating materials, such as wall coverings made of Turkish marble stands, oak wood wall panels, floor sections of herringbone parquet, a curated selection of objects from vintage suppliers from Italy and France, and last but not least, a range of furniture pieces by Pierre Frey. As APROPOS aims to be the ultimate place in town where to indulge in the art of powershopping, the APROPOS Café on the mezzanine readily awaits to pamper you in between shopping sprees. The back walls feature a selection of books and coffee table books by publishers Assouline and Hatje Canz. Large concrete tiles as flooring tie in all the store sections.
For the store’s festive inauguration, the venue has been baptised Clicquot Café as part of the champagne house’s Good Day Sunshine global campaign (open through Aug 18). The APROPOS flagship store is a true one-stop destination for in-the-know shoppers, offering not only high-end men’s and women’s fashion collections, but also a wide selection of cosmetics and fragrances, lifestyle items, and home decoration objects. Obviously, the store’s brand list is both extensive and expertly curated, and currently lists names such as as Giorgio Armani, Khaite, Brioni, Gabriela Hearst, Rhude, Amina Muaddi, Random Identities, Proenza Schouler and Jil Sander.
APROPOS
Kurfürstendamm 68 (Charlottenburg)
10707 Berlin
Telephone: +49 30 519999770
Mon-Sat 10am-7pm
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.
