Kyoto – Bags and accessories brand Freitag is taking an industrial-style approach to its Kyoto store, drawing inspiration from its Zurich-based logistics warehouse.
The space, which occupies two formerly separate retail units in the city’s Nakagyo-ku district, invites customers to experience behind-the-scenes elements of the Freitag brand. Industrial details such as hazard lines and metal shelving have been incorporated into the 80-square-metre space, which the architecture practice – Torafu Architects – have purposely left in a ‘skeleton state’.
Towards the rear of the store is a workshop where customers can experiment with making products using tarp offcuts to create their own small accessories. Reflecting the in-store experience, the store’s exterior also features an industrial aesthetic, with a steel red beam taking the place of a wall that used to divide the two retail units.
The store design is based on the brand's micro-warehouse in Switzerland, showcasing a new approach to the way customer-first spaces are designed. For more on how fulfilment centres are adapting, read about Flagship Fulfilment.