CASE STUDY: The Detroit Institute Of Arts
Objective
Create an environment to entice visitors into the shop through inviting design and innovative displays showcasing the unique merchandise.
Result
With a simple and timeless contemporary design, the new DIA Shop creates a draw to guests as they enter or exit the Museum. In this space without natural light, a major focus was put on how to add and integrate illumination to create a sense of openness and to effectively light the merchandise. Its inviting environment with backlighting and indirect lighting effects makes the store more appealing.
Design Elements
- Adjacent to the Museum reception desk at the store’s exterior, a recessed showcase exhibits feature products and beckons visitors into the store - just inside, the glowy appearance of fixtures adds to the intrigue.
- A yin yang of wood and white glass creates the harmony between fixtures, showcasing the Museum’s feature collections, mixed and reinterpreted into zoned departments, each area takes on its own unique quality.
- A virtual “kit of parts,” the shelving can be changed to accommodate changing museum product needs - wood uprights with shelves of wood or glass offer maximum interchangeability.
- A key focal element at the center is the jewelry loop, sectioned into a geometric layout of three runs of cases, all have internal LED strips to illuminate the jewelry collections.
- A color palette of refreshing white glass and cocoa rift cut oak offers a clean linear grain that complements the sweeping veining of the marble flooring.
