Madrid Store Opening
On July 1st, 2024, Balenciaga opens a new, two-level store in Madrid, Spain. The
combined 394-square meter space offers the latest in Balenciaga men’s and
women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear, and jewelry.
Its design extends and iterates on the brand’s experiential Raw Architecture
concept, which leaves surfaces intentionally untreated and adds faux-industrial
elements to the mix, crossing between codes of authenticity. The concept’s
construction respects existing structural elements and exposes their accumulated
histories, inherently resulting in the use of fewer virgin materials, in keeping with the
company’s goal of sustainable production.
Vast brushed concrete floors resemble sidewalk tiles, while cement board panel walls
and folded metal shelves resemble a largescale storage structure. Racks are sparse
and lit along their edges, while lighting systems and other technical fixtures are
exposed overhead. Metal tables, concrete columns, and recycled leatherupholstered
seating are minimalistic and sharp-cornered, like the rest of the store’s
interior.
Underlit, corrugated metal steps are lined with a system of banisters more
commonly meant for the outdoors. A high-definition screen punctuates the
sprawling space with warmth and modernity.
