Interiors studio El Departamento has designed the Covent Garden flagship store for Spanish trainer brand Hoff, which features handmade zellige ceramics and sculptural furniture.
The 163-square-metre London store was designed as an evolution of the Hoff flagship in Madrid, rather than a replica.
Wood panels decorate part of the store
El Departamento, which is led by Alberto Eltini and Marina Martín, chose to work with warm materials such as wood and zellige to reflect the brand’s approachability.
“We counterbalanced this with technical, industrial materials – such as stainless steel and metal grating – to introduce a sophisticated, contemporary edge,” Eltini told Dezeen.
Yellow zellige tiles were used for display cases and desks
The studio used handmade zellige tiles in a warm butter-yellow colour to decorate a central display case and shelving.
“The palette is built on a neutral, serene base of sand and beige tones – seen in the stone and terrazzo – to provide a natural backdrop,” Martín told Dezeen.
“Against this, we introduced singular colour accents to build identity and dynamise the customer journey.”
The ceiling has a contrasting stainless-steel grid
As well as the tiles, El Departamento used stainless steel and industrial metal grating for the store’s upper planes and for the technical ceiling.
“This introduces a current, industrial language that connects with London’s specific urban character,” Eltini said.
It also added a gridded floor to the Hoff flagship to create a dialogue with the ceiling symmetry.
Phoebe Collings-James designed a blue-and-glass table for Hoff
While the floor and wall surfaces have clean, geometric lines, the store also features playful, sculptural furniture, including a glass table with bulbous blue shapes made in collaboration with artist Phoebe Collings-James.
“We were drawn to her practice for its organic, imperfect forms and the specific ‘memory’ she imprints on her pieces,” Martín said.
“In this store, her sculpture is reinterpreted as a product display, effectively blending the retail experience with fine art,” the studio added. “The piece breaks the orthogonal rigidity of the space, adding a unique, expressive layer that contrasts with the store’s technical grid.”
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The exterior of the Hoff store, located in London’s busy Covent Garden area, has tiles in a slightly darker hue that give the facade a welcoming feel and make it stand out against its neighbours.
“We used mustard yellow and deep blue specifically to inject warmth into the London context, which is often characterised by colder, greyer tones,” Eltini explained.
“The mustard zellige also serves an architectural function, projecting towards the facade to visually connect the interior atmosphere with the street.”
It was designed as a background to showcase Hoff’s trainers
Overall, the designers aimed for the Hoff flagship store to be a neutral background that would help to enhance the product display.
“The envelope acts as a neutral, gallery-like space where textures and colours are perceived almost sculpturally,” Martín explained. “By using bold volumes and architectural gestures, the design steps back to let the product take centre stage.”
El Departamento has previously designed a Barcelona eyewear store in a pale seafoam green. Also in Covent Garden, interior studio North End Design created a colourful interior for the restaurant Town.
The photography is courtesy of Hoff.
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