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SB design square central world plaza
retail design international, may/june 2008, page 30-33
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For several years RKurt Durrant and his design firm, rkd retail i/Q, have been working with SB Design Square, a major furniture retailer in Thailand. Over the years and working in different suburban locations and home centers, the designer and his client have been polishing the retail design concept that now appears in the almost 54,000 sq.ft. space in the Central World Plaza building in Bangkok. “This flagship location was identified to position the brand in the fashion forward and fast paced retail district.”
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 The new space combines the four key components that have evolved during this period. First is the location strategy and then comes the merchandise assortment. With furniture sourced from Europe and Asia, SB Design Square becomes “an exclusive supplier of contemporary living solutions.” To present the product “a visual merchandising philosophy based on clarity was implemented to complement the contemporary nature of the merchandise origin, to focus the customers’ attention on the merchandise and services on offer, and create a respite from the urban chaos where the customer could relax and be inspired. New graphic colors, materials and details were created to reinforce the company’s brand and its customer service. While the new graphics differentiate this flagship store, they do maintain a relationship to the company’s overall brand communications. The Home Planning & Design services were enhanced to “match the urban customer pace and expectations. “3D Pro Designer, a new proprietary space planning and design service, was developed to assist customers in visualizing their space utilization, lifestyle and the budget restrictions of the selections they are considering.
In most of the suburban SB Design Square stores the inspirational “heart” or “idea garden” is located in the center of the shop. In this store it is a catwalk runaway that leads shoppers from a large common area open well to the entrance of the anchor location. “As the tenant space was implemented into two spaces—an anchor/a satellite—one overall planning and design philosophy was essential to visualize and spiritually link these adjacent but separate locations.” The large space is mainly white and accented/divided with translucent panels that “complement the urban mindset.” |
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