Architectural firm CAMPUS has completed a new flagship eyewear store for CHIMI in Stockholm, Sweden, utilizing a design approach centered on reduction, clarity, and sustainable practices. The project demonstrates how careful subtraction and targeted refinement can create a retail space that balances material honesty with environmental responsibility while enhancing brand identity.
The design process began with the removal of accumulated additions to reveal the site's original architecture, allowing new interventions to emerge through precision and restraint. CAMPUS treated the act of reduction as a design tool rather than merely an aesthetic gesture, peeling away non-essential layers to uncover the inherent character of the space. Subsequent additions were kept deliberate and minimal, with each element serving to enhance circulation, function, and brand identity.
A central parabolic counter serves as the defining feature of the spatial organization, drawing inspiration from CHIMI's New York flagship store where this geometric motif was first introduced. In the Stockholm location, this curved geometry is developed through the sweeping central counter, which unifies product display and customer interaction within a single cohesive form. The design creates a seamless flow between different areas of the store while maintaining visual interest.
The preserved staircase acts as both a structural and visual anchor within the space, featuring refined burgundy stucco side walls that complement the parabolic curve. This warm, mineral finish creates a visual dialogue between existing architectural elements and new interventions, demonstrating how historical features can be integrated with contemporary design. The staircase leads to a mezzanine level, expanding the store's functional space while maintaining the overall design coherence.
Lighting plays an equally important structural role in the overall design scheme. The architects installed a four-meter-wide circular luminaire and five-meter ribbon-like ceiling lights that define the ceiling plane while providing both illumination and acoustic softness. These lighting elements form a counterpoint to the tactile, mineral palette below, reinforcing the spatial hierarchy without overwhelming the other design features.
The project showcases CAMPUS architectural studio's philosophy of redefining retail architecture as an exercise in restraint and environmental consideration. Through this careful balance of material reduction and formal precision, the CHIMI Stockholm flagship demonstrates how sustainable design practices can be successfully integrated with commercial retail spaces. The store serves as an example of how architectural intervention can respect existing structures while creating a distinctive brand environment that enhances the customer experience.
