Lavish store by Office 313

Founded in 2008 by Shaikha Alsaqer, chocolate brand Lavish has since gained a a loyal following at home base Kuwait, and so much so, it has now upped the ante, opening its very first retail space in the city. The Lavish store occupies a 35 sqm. (377 sq.ft.) ground floor unit at the recently inaugurated Al Sabah Maternity Hospital, and although modest in size, the interior design literally opens up to an adjacent corridor, avoiding spatial limitations and maximising visibility. However, the design begins with an existing slatted timber frame that defines the boutique perimeter. Mimicking the art of confectionary making, the setting is not only layered, full of details, but also balanced in terms of hues and materials. The Lavish retail space is marked by a rhythm of vertical grooves, soft terracotta tones, and the warmth of locally sourced bricks, oozing a similar kind of craftsmanship. The interior is structured around a central guiding axis, connecting the entrance seating niche, display counters, and rear shelving wall, creating a coherent retail setting.

This axis was also designed to deal with an oddly placed structural column located in the middle of the entrance. Instead of seeing the column as an obstacle, the design absorbs it into the architectural composition, albeit transformed. Overhead, a suspended ceiling beam in warm timber visually traces this axis, integrating both lighting lines and a spherical pendant light. Right below, aligned with part of the aforementioned beam, sits a sales counter with rounded corners, clad in bricks and with a timber top and an embedded glass cabinet full of alluring merchandise. The former column is now a satellite counter of sorts presenting additional products. Behind the sales counter, a protruding band of bricks encapsulates a tiered timber shelving frame, while a more extended equivalent adorns the opposite and back walls with matching rounded corners. Rather than relying on overt branding, the boutique’s identity is embedded within its architecture. The illuminated Lavish sign suspended above the entrance acts less as advertisement and more as a welcoming gesture. © superfuture