BIRO unveils colourful concept store built on the philosophy of 'slow-shopping'

a concept store has been brought to life in croatia’s design district, zagreb, with the help of architectural office BIRO, proposing a new kind of consumption inspired by the ‘slow movement’. garderoba – which means wardrobe in croation – encourages visitors to look through lookbooks, try on clothes, take a drink, and consult with the in-house stylist, spending more time in-store and creating an altogether more relaxing retail interior experience.

oversized pastel-colored changing rooms define the concept store
all images, © jure zivković

the concept store is built on the philosophy of slow-shopping, inspired by the slow movement which advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace. taking lead from this idea, garderoba hopes create a more conscious shopping experience by rethinking its’ services and how products are displayed in the physical environment. it has been brought to the area by the owner, ana ivančić, who employed architectural office BIRO to bring the concept to life.

the concept store is built on the philosophy of slow-shopping

defining the atmosphere of the store, three oversized wardrobes are soft in shape, materials and colors, holding strong contrast to the store’s minimal and neutral base. each wardrobgre has its own color theme – yellow, pink and green – which is applied to everything inside the wardrobe, giving each space its own unique character. depending on the visitors needs or preferences the wardrobes can be arranged using a series of overlapping curtains, creating either a larger wardrobe for groups of friends or a smaller, more intimately sized space for individuals.

the three oversized wardrobes are soft in shape, materials and colors

a flexible system of hangers have been incorporated throughout the store enabling it to host different types of events and shows in addition to the slow-shopping concept, further encouraging a more experiential attitude to fashion. this system also aids the visual merchandisers in their storytelling capabilities, enabling them to present each collection in a manner that suits its’ specific character.

the store uses a system of hangers enabling it to host different types of events

to decorate the store’s interior, croation design studio grupa were employed, specifically designing coffee tables, chandeliers, free-standing mirrors, seating benches and stools, in accordance with the store’s overall interior concept. these pieces, which included the studio’s newest item – the baluna pendant lamp – were all chosen with each wardrobe’s character in mind, exactly matching their individual color schemes. several monk chairs, designed by grupa for prostoria, are also used in the interior.

each wardrobe has monochromatic furniture designed by croation studio, grupa

the visual identity of garderoba’s has been designed by lava cavar and narcisa vukojević, who based the store’s concept on the core beliefs of making the space flexibile whilst aiding the owner, the staff and the visitors the possibility of being spontaneous.

each wardrobe can be customised to suit an individual or a group of shoppers

garderoba hopes create a more conscious shopping experience by rethinking how products are displayed 

the visual identity of garderoba’s has been designed by lava cavar and narcisa vukojević

the slow movement which advocates a cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: kieron marchese | designboom