Vincent van Duysen transforms former post office into Alexander Wang’s London flagship
US designer Alexander Wang has opened a London flagship store, and his first freestanding store in Europe, enlisting Belgian architect Vincent van Duysen to transform a former Post Office on Mayfair's Albemarle Street. The three level, 625 sq m store, a few doors down from Victoria Beckham's striking Farshid Moussavi-designed flagship, carries the complete range of Wang's men's and women's ready-to-wear, T by Alexander Wang as well as the OBJECTS collection of homewares and accessories.
'We had a great dialogue right from the start,' says van Duysen of his working relationship with Wang. 'This is a project definitely not coming from just one direction; it's definitely the result of that dialogue.'
'Alexander bought in all these interesting materials such as distressed chrome, recycled rubber and industrial metal plate and we incorporated them into the design, along with natural stone and Travertine', he continues. 'There are rough expressive elements and then the soft and the delicate. Alexander wanted the unexpected. He also suggested this over-sized hangar system with rails that look like industrial pipes. There are very contradictory forms and in that way it's a shop that reflects his methodology as a fashion designer.'
Van Dysen says that a grid of beams was revealed when the Post Office was stripped back. And he made the most of them. 'Most people would have done one of two things; either take them out or strip them back and leave them very bare and industrial. We decided to cover them in Travertine.'
'The most difficult design decision though was where to put the new staircase.' he says. 'We have made it a real centre piece, something very monumental and sculptural.' Steps on the staircase are dark grey concrete encased in black leather while the handrail is embossed in stingray leather.
The store also includes furniture by Vincent Van Duysen Architects as well as by Alexander Wang for Poltrona Frau, re-editions of 1970s Italian designs by Gianfranco Frattini and sculptural installations by Ben Storms and Gerard Kuijpers, both in 'Noire de Mazy', a rare form of Belgian dark marble.
Van Duysen, who has designed stores for Aesop, Calvin Klein and spaces for Selfridges and La Rinescente, says store design let him explore his more theatrical, creative side. 'My residential projects are very calm and serene but with stores you are creating something very theatrical, you are creating a huge stage. But you have to remember that the clothes are the protagonist.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
‘You should not take yourself too seriously or you risk becoming boring’: Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini on Homo Faber 2024
As the design and film worlds flocked to Venice at the weekend for Homo Faber and the Venice Film Festival, Wallpaper* sat down in a cool salon with two men in hot demand to take their temperature on craft, interiors and gold leaf cable covers
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Haider Ackermann is the new creative director of Tom Ford
French-Colombian designer Haider Ackermann will make his debut at Tom Ford for A/W 2025, replacing Peter Hawkings, who left the brand earlier this year
By Jack Moss Published
-
Politics, oil crises and abortion rights infiltrate the optimistic 1970s interiors of Villa Benkemoun
For the 50th anniversary of Villa Benkemoun in Arles, a new exhibition critically explores the year of 1974 through contemporary and historic artworks that antagonise the optimism of its design
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
Anglepoise and National Trust look to Britain’s coastal landscape for a new blue lighting collection
Anglepoise and National Trust announce their third lighting collection, Neptune Blue
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Designer James Shaw’s latest creation is a self-built home in east London
James Shaw's east London home is Filled with vintage finds and his trademark extruded plastic furniture, a compact self-built marvel
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Art’otel Battersea opens with immersive interiors by Jaime Hayon
An exclusive tour of Art’otel Battersea, the first UK opening from the group, located opposite the Battersea Power Station and featuring immersive interiors by Jaime Hayon
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ælfred: the new east London destination for vintage Scandinavian design
Ælfred opens in Hackney Wick, offering democratically priced Scandinavian furniture, lighting, ceramics and glassware
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Hyperlocal design: these Atelier100 products are made within 100km of London
Atelier100 launches its retail space and debut locally focused design collection in London’s Hammersmith
By Martha Elliott Published
-
Dimoremilano opens immersive Marylebone residency around Frieze London 2022
Coinciding with this year’s Frieze London, Dimoremilano has opened an immersive residency at The Invisible Collection’s new Marylebone HQ
By Mary Cleary Last updated
-
Holloway Li’s debut furniture collection is like colourful candy
Holloway Li presents the ‘T4’ collection of furniture, created in collaboration with Turkish manufacturer Uma and inspired by the designers’ 1990s childhood
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Bill Amberg creates leather furniture in collaboration with the Knepp Estate
London-based designer Bill Amberg has created a series of furniture pieces for the Knepp Estate, Sussex, using leather from the rewilding project's animals for an on-site cafe due to open in 2023
By Giovanna Dunmall Last updated