NGV Bookshop
As people exit via the gift shop, filled to the brim with inspiration, let’s leave a lasting impression…
In 2011, we were engaged in a collaboration with TANDEM Design Studio to reimagine the National Gallery of Victoria’s retail space, repurposing existing elements to create a dynamic and engaging new offering. It needed to capture the attention of those emerging fresh from an exhibition, and continue the buzz of the experience into the customer journey.
Our idea was to remove the barrier between the shop front, the interior and the museum foyer, and set up a series of smaller shops within the broader store. At the entry, low-height joinery was designed to house carefully curated merchandise and new releases of books.
Blurring the line of commerce and art, shop and foyer throughout the store, the customer interacts with varied products and experiences ranging from the bookshop, library, kids’ products, homewares, adornment and paper. Each of the display areas was purpose-built and considered to maximise the product’s visibility, in a space designed to be intuitively navigable.
Being such an open space, accessible from all sides, flexibility was key. All joinery was kept conveniently modular for easy reconfiguration, and cleverly designed to maximise interactivity. Bookcases not only showcase reading material and treasured objects, but also seamlessly convert to become bench seating. Merchandise displays play double duty as partitions, to create intimate zones for browsing, quiet contemplation and reading.
