Cape Town, South Africa – New York-based architect and interior
designer Rafael de Cárdenas of Architecture At Large has designed Cape
Town’s newest men’s store, Unknown Union (UU). Headquartered in an 18th
century historic building in the heart of Cape Town, UU is an
international collective and hub for creativity featuring an global
roster of fashion collections exclusively available in Africa at UU.
Brands represented include ANYthing, Pendleton, Surface to Air, and
Penfield USA, among others.
Seeking an alternative to the dark and leathery designs so prevalent
in menswear boutiques, de Cárdenas has created a vibrant kaleidoscopic
environment to showcase the wears of UU’s owners and curators, Sean
Shuter and Daniel Jackson. The two levels feature a maze of
multi-colored ombré finished shelving in vivid teals, greens, yellows
and pinks, grounded by warm terra cotta tile floors and white walls. The
ceiling is web of fluorescent lights, a trademark of de Cárdenas, with
dramatic chandelier extension. These punctuate the network of shelving
units – stacked cubes of various height and width configurations –
providing depth and visual interest in unexpected ways.
The second level of the store, accessible by a high-gloss white
spiral staircase, is home to an ever-changing environment of and pop-up
boutiques featuring artist and designer installations – a project and
idea space for both local and international creators. To mark the
official opening of Unknown Union, Shuter and Jackson are offering a
limited edition series of T-shirts created exclusively for the event.
Featured artist collaborators include Rafael de Cárdenas/Architecture at
Large, Gazelle, Surface to Air, Milkbeard, Cornrow Rider and THECAST.
24 Kloof Street, 8008 Cape Town, South Africa.
0 comments:
Post a Comment