tacklebox contains claus porto's new york store within a freestanding archway

tacklebox architecture, under the direction of jeremy barbour, has designed a retail interior for a portuguese beauty and fragrance house that pays homage to the country’s architecture. located in the nolita neighborhood of manhattan, the project is the first international store for claus porto — a 131-year-old company label that built its name on hand-crafted soaps infused with fine fragrances.

all images by eric petschek

to create a portal through which visitors may immerse themselves in the world of claus porto’s scents, tacklebox architecture inserted a 42-foot-long (12.8m) freestanding archway into the ground-floor storefront of an early 1800s building. the arch is a subtle reference to porto’s são bento railway station, that was first proposed in 1887 — the same year that claus porto was founded. like the store, this central rail hub — with arched doorways onto the street — serves as a welcoming gateway for those arriving.

the decorative azulejo tile that lines the station is also referenced in the decorative wrappings of the products, many of which date back to the beginnings of the brand. meanwhile, milled from portuguese cork, 1,500 faceted tiles reference the tiled façade of the lisbon’s historic casa dos bicos, which features an elevation of protruding spikes.

when entering the store, customers are greeted by a framed diploma certifying that claus porto was awarded a gold medal at the 1904 universal exhibition in saint louis — the first of a series of hand-picked objects that make the shop’s gallery. these antiques help tell the story of the brand and include elements related to its tradition as a fragrance house as well as the evolution of certain products and patterns.

a monolithic washbasin sits at the heart of the space in reference to the baptismal font and as a celebration of the ritual of daily cleansing. the basin was carved from the same single block of estremoz marble that gave life to its sister basin in porto’s flagship store.

project info:

architect: tacklebox architecture under the direction of jeremy barbour
client: claus porto, ricardo cunha vaz
creative director: claus porto, anne margreet
honing fabrication: digifabshop
lighting: loop lighting
general contracting: thomas fitzgerald
photography: eric petschek