thinking mu rosello: isern serra's terracotta oasis in barcelona

glass facade for transparent thinking mu rosello

Spanish fashion label Thinking Mu opens its next location in Barcelona, with interiors designed by Isern Serra. The design team curates the retail space as a reflection of the sustainable and transparent brand, which employs organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fibers, and prioritizes fair labor conditions. As a symbol of this transparency, the space opens onto the street through a glass facade, inviting passersby to enter, while the interior integrates a custom-made stainless steel coffee bar, transforming the store into a neighborhood gathering spot. Thus, the concept of openness and interaction is central to the store’s design. See designboom’s coverage of Isern Serra’s previous Thinking Mu which opened on Rambla de Catalunya here.
images © Salva López

gallery-like interiors curated by isern serra

The interiors of Thinking Mu Rosello are designed by a team led by Isern Serra to suggest a gallery space. Spaces are occupied by custom-designed display elements that double as works of art — a large micro-cement work table, a sculpturally curving iron shelf with, and iron garment hangers supported by stone bases create a retail space that is at once design-minded and functional. Meanwhile, the use of sustainable materials along the interior finishes, such as clay mortar paint for the terracotta-hued tunnel, reinforces the brand‘s commitment to environmental sustainability.

‘Like the products sold by the brand, all the furniture in the store is conceived as a work of art, elements that not only serve a practical function but are also sculptural pieces,‘ the designer explains. ‘The composition generated by these pieces within the same space achieves a functional space with a unique aesthetic experience.‘

the Barcelona store is designed to reflect the brand’s commitment to sustainability

fluid terracotta elements lend a dreamlike atmosphere

Isern Serra and his team organize the layout of Thinking Mu Rosello to guide customers through a series of fluidly interconnected spaces. A terracotta-colored tunnel, its warm tones created with a clay mortar paint, leads to the main retail area. The use of this deep, earthy, and welcoming tone is repeated throughout the store, creating a cohesive, unifying atmosphere. The mirrored wall of the tunnel serves to visually expand the otherwise narrow space, an illusionistic strategy which the team employs to introduce a sense of depth and intrigue.

Beyond the retail area, the store opens onto an event space, which brings a calming oasis to the constantly moving city. This room is organized with amphitheater-style seating which encircles a central skylight shrouded by backlit fabric to create a dreamlike atmosphere flooded by soft, ambient light. Directly below the skylight is a sculptural coffee table crafted from construction debris — an element born from recycled materials to further symbolize the brand’s commitment to sustainability and resourcefulness.

the design lends an open and inviting atmosphere, incorporating a coffee bar gathering space