During the summer of 2011, a unique project took place on London’s Southbank. The Vintage Festival, in collaboration with Secret Productions and Papa Projects, constructed a row of bespoke shops for designer brands such as Cath Kidston, New Era, and Benefit. As both a pre-fabricator and construction manager for the project, I played an instrumental role in bringing this street design to life.
The project was a collaboration between different organizations, each contributing their unique expertise to develop these unique shops. Secret Productions, a London-based event production company, was responsible for designing the street layout with Nick Bartlett as the chief architect. Papa Projects was responsible for managing the construction process with the help of the brands and the festival organizers.
To create the unique shop designs, each brand worked closely with the project team to provide the artwork for the façade. The designs were then hand-painted onto the prefabricated structures by the talented paint crew De5ign4. The shop spaces were constructed for a short period during the festival, accommodating the unique designs of each participating brand.
One of the most significant brands that participated in this project was Cath Kidston. Cath Kidston is a popular British lifestyle brand that specializes in vintage-inspired prints, domestic furnishings, and home accessories. Being able to create bespoke store units for Cath Kidston was a fantastic opportunity for us as a team.
On the other hand, Benefit was another popular beauty brand that participated in the project. Standalone shops for Benefit had not been extensively developed at this point, so it was exciting to be part of creating their bespoke shop. Offering an interactive and visual experience, and with innovative ideas for utilizing the small space, we were able to create a fantastic Benefit experience.
Another popular brand was New Era, an American headwear company providing headwear with distinct designs to customers. It provided a unique challenge for us to build their bespoke shop. The aim was to provide a versatile and modular store unit that could be assembled easily and disassembled quickly. We were able to create an impressive display for their products, allowing customer engagement in a compact space.
Working on a project of this nature helped us to appreciate the unique challenges and opportunities that come with it. One of the key challenges in this pre-fabrication project was to finish the structures before assembly on-site. The tight deadline set before us and the ever-changing design briefs and requirements meant we had to work around the clock to ensure we met the demands of the project.
One of the opportunities of this project was the opportunity to work with the brands’ creative teams. Working closely with the brands allowed us to learn about their culture and brand identity, which enabled us to create bespoke store units that not only satisfied their needs but also aligned with the festival’s carnival atmosphere. As a result, the stores became a big hit at the festival and provided an immersive shopping experience enjoyed by all who attended.
This project also gave us an opportunity to display our installation skills for this type of pre-fabrication project. We faced technical difficulties when we had to install the structures on-site, as we needed to ensure that each unit was properly assembled and anchored to the ground. We focused on creating a modular structure that could provide flexibility to remove and install the stores easily.
Looking back, completing this project was a fantastic achievement, and it gave us valuable lessons we could take into other similar projects. It was a unique experience, and working with Secret Productions, Papa Projects, and the designer brands was amazing. We were able to test our installation skills while creating bespoke units for the brands, making us proud of the final result. It was a great feeling to see a project that we worked extensively come to life during the festival, and we are excited to have had the opportunity to be part of this exceptional project.
Posted by Thomas Forsyth on 2011-09-21 16:48:03