Ágatha Magenta Store



Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada

Castel Veciana Arquitectura, a Barcelona-based Design and Architectural firm, has recently completed the flagship store for the Spanish fashion designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. The store, called "Magenta by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada" is located in Barcelona’s elegant Ensanche neighborhood and is the first of a series of concept stores, each of which will be named after and highlight a distinct color. Aware of the importance of "color" for the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada brand, the designer’s intention was to use the vibrant color magenta to create a bold, high-impact form of branding, while at the same time keeping renovation costs to a minimum. The project commenced by thoroughly emptying the existing space, but essentially maintaining the space’s scheme intact. Thereafter, absolutely everything in sight was painted in a sea of magenta. Thanks to the use of a special luminescent paint and a fluorescent lighting system which encompasses and unites all three floors, the designer’s were able to experiment with the effects of color and light on reflective materials and transform a once drab space into an entirely new store. Although the interior is decidedly monochromatic, the perception of the tones and shades of the magenta-colored walls, ceilings, and floors changes subtly according to the light. A new lighting system, with a visible line of fluorescents integrated into an aluminum track, was specially designed for the project. The lines of lights, which run both vertically and horizontally at different heights, appear to float throughout the whole store. Ingeniously, they also function as rails on which to hang and highlight the clothes. Large geometric volumes made of aluminum are used as furniture pieces around the store, and their brilliant metallic surfaces capture and reflect the color and light, allowing for their complete integration into the store’s monochromatic scheme. The remaining furniture consists of alveolar wood panels and white polystyrene pallets which can be stacked at various heights and provide flexibility in the changing demands for the composition and arrangement of product display. The designers have achieved a stunning visual impact by using a single illuminating color and simple industrial materials, and in so doing they have managed to avoid an otherwise costly renovation.