J2 sneaker box

J2 SNEAKER BOX

oakridge center, vancouver, bc

2008 completion

Located in a premium shopping center, J2 SNEAKER BOX is a 550 sq ft sneaker specialty store. The owner, J2 Fashion Group, wanted a store that is hip, modern, with a bit street look, and more importantly, that can sell their merchandize. Working with a “green” attitude in mnd and a shoestring budget, our design approach was instead of fabricating everything new as the owner had originally thought of, we kept all the existing shelves along the two sidewalls, and transformed them into something functional and modern. To make the store not feel “busy” with 100+ shoes, T-shirts, etc. on display, a simple color scheme was necessary. The shelves were painted grey outside, white inside, with various sections covered with either tinted glass door or MDF panels. Their positions were carefully layout to display an orchestrated solid/void pattern and stimulate an eye movement across. Illuminated with spot and suspended lighting, it provides a dramatic contrast for merchandise display. Other design strategies include painting the back wall and ceiling black color to achieve an illusion of depth and height, and also blur the boundary between. Graffiti painted over by local artist, appears to hover above. Seat bench/displays, laid along the center, helps reinforce the linearity of the store. Besides construction waste minimization, other sustainable strategies include using low VOC paint, MDF board, laminate floor, low lighting, cooling demands, etc.