Viroc panelling played a significant role in the construction of a shop selling Fora Sunglasses, in Porto. Read this article to find out more about how Viroc influenced this innovative project.
The shop is located in Porto and the surroundings proved a decisive influence when it came to choosing the materials. The architects, drawing inspiration from the granite that designs the city of Porto, fitted out the shop using Viroc, a cement and wood composite, as the main material.
The shop was endowed with a meticulous design comprising a customer counter, displayer and vertical stairway to the storeroom. The largest of these items has been infused with life by means of the Viroc Grey wood and iron materials, both lacquered in white.
The displayer consists of two structures in a scythe shape that are positioned separately in one of the corners of the shop. The drawers, both made from Viroc, serve to store the glasses, with the white lacquered wooden shelves leading to a harmonious and calming location. The shelves play an essential role by unifying the two structures and subtly exacerbating the perception of movement characteristic of a dance.
The customer counter is light, with a slim design and small volume that perfectly fulfils its function, served by a block of drawers on wheels. The lightness of this counter is achieved by using the Viroc which merges into the reinforced screed flooring.
The display case, split into two modules, was designed for two purposes. It stores the sunglasses in drawers in the lower part and provides information about the product through an acrylic box illuminated from above.
The stairway connects the shop to its storeroom, and is made from white lacquered iron in a spiral that contributes to the theme suggested by the displayer of architecture in movement.
The combination of all the materials results in an extremely cohesive design from the architectural point of view, where all the items combine with one another perfectly. The Viroc, together with the reinforced screed flooring, forms a harmony of grey colours that allow certain architectural items to be highlighted by using the white colour.
Credits
Architecture – Lopo de Carvalho Arquitectos
Photography – Garcês
Client – Fora Sunglasses
