Valentino Flagship store, New bond Street , London

This building is a contemporary design style with the rhythm of a Georgian house. New bond and old bond street both were lined with Georgian homes which is what the architect Chipperfield kept into consideration when adding this facade to the exterior of the building. The classic Georgian residential building had certain design features which make it stand out from the rest mainly being the windows as the first and second floors being the biggest windows as these rooms were the biggest as they entertained the households guests, the second floor had smaller windows as these were were bedrooms were placed and the smaller windows gave a certain amount of privacy that the family needed. The top floor, which was in the roof would have been where the staff of the household would have slept this is why there are much smaller windows almost hidden from the street of passers-by.

The contextual flow of the building has kept certain aspects and exaggerated others. For instance, windows have been overemphasized and the third floor has the windows sunken into the building giving the sense the windows being smaller from street view. The stucco render on a Georgian building is a key feature to break up the heavy mass of the building, However, the Valentino building has given a modern twist on this concept as they have used on colour on the whole building which has been broken up with beams laying horizontally and vertically that break the building up. Stucco render is a mixture of cement renders with a white paint glazed on top of the classic brickwork.

The building is built in the Georgian period and then redeveloped by David Chipperfield architects in 2016. Which was designed as a facade proposal which is made out of natural Portland stone with the inner shell made of an artificial terrazzo, which is a floor and wall treatment which has different types of rocks poured in it. This means when light is on the stone it will reflect especially with the addition of the shop front lighting thing around the window.

To me, the exterior of the building gives a feeling of luxury which is a status that Valentino already holds. This way the Fashion house has placed mannequins in the shop windows gives a feel of snapshots of movement across a catwalk like magazine covers which ties in well with there marketing approach where they focus on one fixed element. This really highlights the reason for the building and its purpose. To emphasises the luxury that this brand holds, they have used marble and Portland stone which are both very expensive materials giving the consumer an all-round experience. I personally really love the exterior of this building it has two moods to it one that it is powerful and at peace, at the same time, this also reflects the type of people who would purchase products from this High-end brand. The colour choice of blue gives connotations of Heaven and stability which makes people more attracted to it.

Accessible design is very important in a modern building so that everyone can functionally use them. The front of this Georgian building is accessible to all as there is step-free access in and out of the shop with an exaggerated wooden door meaning that there is ample space for a wheelchair or emergency services to enter safely and efficiently. this meant that Valentino is literally opening the doors for everybody and anyone. This entrance would have been completely different in Georgian times as there would have been steps going up to the main front door this means only certain people would have been able to enter this building which brings back to contextual history as in those times disabilities were frowned upon and if a child or person in an influential (upper-class family ) had one they would have been hidden away from the world.

This building has changed along with its surroundings once being a family home then as shopping became more accessible and a bigger part of society this building and all the others along this street became famous for all its high-end luxury fashion houses to put their flagship stores in the centre of London. This changed the purpose of the building as now it doesn't have to feel comfortable for the everyday use it can have more intricate designs and feel harsher with the marble solid surfaces on the interiors which juxtapose with the organic style staircases which are features you don't normally see together in a family home. Because of this change in the layout of the interior and exterior, it has changed the flow of the building and the name 'Valentino' brings high net-worth people in to the area making it one of the most expensive areas in London

History and Theory

History and Theory

Valentino 'Building Research'

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