Following the opening of its first outpost overseas in Copenhagen seven years ago, 66°North has ventured to the United Kingdom, a vital market for the Icelandic outdoor apparel brand, to open a flagship store in London. The 66°North brand, which started in 1926 to manufacture protective outerwear for fishermen, actually opened a pop-up store last September leading up to the opening of the flagship store. Situated alongside Regent Street, one of the most prestigious stretches of real estate in the city, the store occupies a 3,500 sq.ft. (325 sqm.) unit on the ground floor of a monumental 19th-century listed building designed by architect John Nash. For the interior design, the company once again tapped Berlin-based architecture practice Gonzalez Haase AAS. Similar to the store in the Danish capital, the retail space here in London not only takes ample cues from Iceland‘s rugged landscape, but also its volatile weather conditions. The interior design steers decidedly clear from a stereotypical formal language, and sees abstract volumes in a dynamic configuration.
Each volume features a different height, and combined with the unit’s peculiar dimensions, they create a strong sense of adventure when navigating the premises. Mind you, the wall at the entrance measures almost 18 metres and is slightly curved, creating a new perspective, but also plays with the light in different shades. The use of simple, raw materials, such as rammed earth, instantly conjure up images of the local landscape, while interspersed mirrors and LED screens add to the visual dynamic of the setting. Interestingly, the Icelandic weather’s colour palette has also been meticulously analysed and is embedded in the interior design. What has been concluded is a continuously shifting grey – between lighter and darker that is – and serves as a primary hue while additional colours, each one represents an aspect of the landscape, may differ per store and can also be captured by a new material. For this setting an earthy red has been selected. The new 66°North store carries the brand’s full range of men’s and women’s coats, accessories and swimwear.
66°North
100 Regent Street (Mayfair)
London W1B 5SR
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm
Sun 11am-6pm
Publishers Note
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