Retail Design & Development Awards Category Finalist 2014
A strange space in the middle of a Mall under the escalators to the movie houses, in the confluence of 3 mall passages… a non space requiring a place making element. But again the interior architecture is merely one of the disciplines that add to the total brand, the food (bread) the drink (coffee) and the specific branding of all items brought the brand to fruition.
The conceptual narrative starts with the 20 Century Limited a rail company that was formed in 1902. Following in 1938 Richard Dreyfuss designed the NYC Hudson streamlined steam power modern train. These new machines were faster, slicker and more streamlined to be illustrative of this new modern age. The first conceptual drawings for the new Lucky Bread Co. took its cues from these beautiful machines.
In essence the food/ coffee stall under the escalator is an object crafted out of mild steel, brass, timber and leather. The steel machine is the hero- and pages of carefully considered details brought the steel together. Added to the steel is raw timber planks and glass.
The owners/ chefs that had a particularly good eye for materials, texture, proportion and the found object played important part in the making of the “meaningful thing”. All tangible objects that could be branded such as crockery, furniture and lights were handmade with dedication and love by a number of great artists and artisans.
The logo hand painted onto the tiles and glass and the billboard like sign- (hand crafted from solid mild steel and brass) are bold and visible. On the crockery, seating cushions and napkins, the logo reverted to a more subtle and tacit use. against a layered palette of copper, brass, solid wood. The space has a sense of modesty and the allure of a bygone era when reading and traveling was romantic and time for eating and enjoyment was the essence of life and not a mere action for survival.
