Retail

Breuninger Menswear Department – »It’s a Man’s World«, the biggest in Europe

In co-operation with the architects’ office HMKM and Brinkworth, DIA – Dittel Architekten is commissioned to implement and realise the reconstruction of the HAKA department in the Breuninger flagship store in Stuttgart to provide one of the largest men’s departments in Europe. A surface area of over 10,000 m² on the second floor was transformed in six months into an exclusive shopping world which testifies to the claim, “It’s a Man’s World“.

The design embodies the style of an English gentleman. Elegance, class, good taste and understatement define the ambience reproducing the character of a gentleman’s club. Wood and dark colours, high-quality furniture and settings define the scene. It’s an environment in which people are pleased to be seen and where they stay by preference after the shopping experience. GENT’S, a small café, whose CI originates from the communication designers of DIA – Dittel Architekten, provides a welcome break to relax.

The sales areas were assigned individual themes which reflect the life worlds in which modern style-assured men move and work. Components which run through all the areas and act as a unifying element are the backlit frames which surround and present the product racks in various ways. Despite the different semantic worlds, a uniform concept is discernible and the overall architectural design clearly comes to the fore.

Casual fashion is offered in the Cloakroom, which is finished in the correspondent style. The Creative Studio presents suits in classic and modern interior design whereas the urban man finds non-denim trousers in the Library. Next to the GENT’S Bar in the atrium are the shop-in-shops which are again bordered by frames.

Denim and chino trousers are presented in the Canteen. The mood is rendered more relaxed by light colours and the atmosphere emphasises down-to-earthness and lightness. Accessories are presented in the Prop Room designed in the style of the 1970s. The thematic area is permeated with numerous radii and dark elements. Shirts and knitwear are found in the Print Room. Based on the theme of an archive, the products are presented with plenty of wood with medium dark coloration. The architectural design in the individual thematic worlds is underlined by presentation accents which make the sales area into an experience area.

In the Bespoke area are the made-to-measure shop and the Special Service counter. The design here is even more exquisite than in the rest of the department. In an area separate from the rest of the department, the design is composed of a combination of top quality furnishings and modern colour scheme. The highest level of service can be enjoyed in a high quality ambience where the colour world comprises mainly grey tones. Customers enjoy top class service in an environment.

A noticeably controversial atmosphere reigns in the thematic worlds of “Modern Formal“, “Trend“ and “High Fashion“, where contemporary fashion is presented with urban flair. These three areas are dominated by the feeling of a gutted warehouse. The furniture and product racks look as if they had been made from the original remnants of a warehouse inventory. The colour scheme is specially immersed in dark tones where black is the predominant colour, broken in the “Trend” area by coloured accents to bring out the intended workshop character more perceptibly. This is mainly achieved by fittings which resemble over-dimensional tool boxes. The initial impression of the overall interior design concept of the area is one of integrity, coolness and rawness. However, it invites the visitor to discover the exceedingly playful details.