The brief was to develop the space as an active trading warehouse. A concrete shell was handed over and the subsequent fitout features a bespoke cabinetry ‘kit’ to display the stock in an active retail format.
The primary ‘seed’ for the development of the cabinetry is the traditional pine fine wine box. The cabinetry ‘boxes’ are shelving units to the perimeter and a ‘palette’ on wheels to the shop floor, both with flexible elements for active display. Cabinetry is made of solid unpainted pine, intended to ‘season’ in use, wine ‘ageing’.
Primary elements; sales counter-money/kitchen-food/bathroom-toilet are in the corporate colour, orange (the link a private joke). A bottle wall, reminiscent of indulgent NZ summers, provides a screen between the formal shop area of retail and wine school and the working dispatch and warehouse areas.
AWARDS WON
2004 Designers Institute of NZ Best Award – Retail Design
John Caro and I have been best friends for over 45 years. Just as I trust John (Director of Caro’s Wines) with wine, he just lets me get on with the design.