For this feature, we are zooming in on three retail concepts in Belgium. The already great products are lifted some great store design, focused on creating a unique customer experience.
First up is the iconic cookie brand Maison Dandoy, synonymous with tasty cookies since its establishment in Brussels in 1829. A long-time favorite of locals and tourists, the brand has chosen to create a contemporary ambiance reflecting its modernization over the past two centuries. Base Design created unique concepts adapted to each location, yet recognizable by the new Maison Dandoy signature with the marble counter, the golden dot lighting fixture, and the hand-painted logo on the windows.
Continuing on the interiors trend of terrazzo, we visit the Antwerp location of trendy eyewear brand Ace & Tate. The brand pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030 and collaborated with Plasticiet for the store design in Antwerp. Plasticiet, founded by designers Marten van Middelkoop and Joost Dingemans, collects PE waste and turns it into sheets of material that look like terrazzo. The result makes for an extraordinary shopping experience.
Last up is the Aesop store in Brussels, designed by Bernard Dubois. He took terra cotta bricks, the signature Belgian construction material for most of all homes, and turned them 90° vertical instead of the typical horizontal installation. He then stacked and continuously covered the entire store, from front to back and back to the storefront.
