Urban culture is a multi-faceted affair, constantly evolving, and if at all a defining force to be reckoned with, it’s also inextricably woven into a city’s identity. In Darwin, the capital city of Australia‘s Northern Territory and home to a just under 150,000 dwellers, the emerging urban culture comes with a unique local flavour that’s nurtured by its vast hinterland. We’re talking the newly opened retail space of House of Darwin, a charity foundation founded by professional footballer-turned-social entrepreneur Shaun Edwards, which is committed to bringing positive change and improving the lives of individuals and communities in the Northern Territory. The new eponymous retail space banks on the abundant local flora and fauna, and obviously, also its inhabitants, carrying fun-infused, colourful streetwear and lifestyle items with a distinct local twist. The interior design is created in-house by staff member Jack Normoyle in collaboration with talented local craftsmen.
The setting takes ample cues from the textures and hues of the homeland of the Larrakia, an Australian Aboriginal people who have always lived in and around Darwin. The façade, dipped in a bright red hue, and adorned with various motifs, not only makes the store stand out from its bland urban surroundings, but also signals what can be found indoors. The design of the open retail space is anchored by the same colour, injecting the premises with a playful energy. Upon entering the House of Darwin store, shoppers find a semi-circular seating configuration, flanked by a sound installation with large speakers and a suspended apparel display. Recessed shelving and display units and a display wall sit opposite an undulating sales counter, also in red and with an artistic pattern, while a sculptural clothing display is situated right in between. The bright red back wall conceals a fitting room while it also embeds an LED screen featuring branded footage. © superfuture
House of Darwin
20 Knuckey Street, Shop 2 (CBD)
Darwin, NT 0800
Mon-Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 10am-3pm
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.
