Andy Martin Architects completes the new Richard James Flagship store in Savile Row! The largest retail space on Savile Row, the new store, offers the customer a more holistic approach to the flagship’s design that is articulated in simple, bold and quirky design features. Andy states his aspiration lies in aligning Richard James core brand character with a unique design response, respectful to the context, innovative in its material and aesthetic qualities, flexible and durable in terms of its maintenance and overall performance.

The extensive open space is delicately divided in two main areas, ‘Seasonal’ and ‘Classic’, by a translucent screen treated with a dichroic film that varies in colour, luminosity and reflectiveness. This free-standing screen becomes the central feature of the new space, operating both as a vibrant backdrop to the displays in the ‘Seasonal’ area and a circulation distributor, concealing the more ‘private’ areas of the Classic and Changing Rooms.

The element that blends the entire unit together is the stretched ceiling, which conceals an adjustable ambient light system, providing a changeable personality. This is versatile in that it can be easily changed, re-installed and decorated seamlessly. This becomes a canvas for future art driven interventions. Andy identifies four main Brand Characteristics in ‘Richard James’ recent collections from which visual and performative references are drawn from in his design.

These are Reflected Colour, Colour Casting, Chroma and Translucent Inner Skin. Andy adds, “We derived techniques and effects from the above, which are directly translated in the key design features of our proposal. For example, the stretched canvas ceiling system works in direct reference to colour in terms of its reflective and projective qualities and the central screen evokes the chromatic and translucent related to light, texture and colour blur.”

About
Andy Martin was born in Australia where he studied Architecture in Sydney, followed by the Architectural Association in London and finishing with a Masters at Columbia University. Andy spent 5 years working with Marc Newson in Paris, after which, he went on to set up the architectural practice, AMA, in Paris and was commissioned to create the new restaurant ‘Mash’ in London 1998 and later Isola in 2001. Andy Martin Architects come with a wealth of international experience, with award winning restaurants in London, Hong Kong, Casablanca and Greece. They have worked with some of the most influential London restaurateurs of the last decade including Chris Corbin and Jeremy King of the renowned Ivy Restaurant, Oliver Peyton of Coast and Isola and the Hart Brothers of Quo Vadis. As well as restaurants, AMA has completed many residential projects in London and Australia most recently completing the residence projects for Noel Gallagher and the hotelier Olga Polizzi.