Casalola

Casalola is an exercise in minimalism, turning the premises of a real estate agency into a clothing shop with a very low budget and very tight deadlines.

Our friend Alex wanted to open a clothes shop in the centre of Marbella, he had already spoken to a small builder he trusted to carry out the reform of the premises and had some clear ideas, but when it came to undertaking the work there were quite a few questions so he asked us to lend him a hand.

We found out that they were going to demolish the same day we visited the premises, to start with, they were going to pull down the existing partition walls to leave it practically open plan. With no time to draw up a project, we came up with a different strategy, we were going to make the decisions and give the orders to the construction company as we went along, so that each day we would prepare the right documentation for the following day.

Thus, the project took a clear direction, to take advantage of some existing elements that would serve as a starting point. Underneath the ceramic flooring was the original floor of the premises, a terrazzo tile in cream tones that would fit in well with the shop’s line of Nordic and Mediterranean clothing brands. The pillar and ceiling coverings were also removed, and together with the demolition of the joinery, the first phase was completed.

On this base, the four basic static pieces for the shop were added: the fitting rooms, the cashier’s area, a shelf and the donkeys where the clothes would be stored.

A fifth element acts as a binding element, the texture. While keeping in mind the use of plaster in traditional Andalusian architecture, the walls, furniture and façade are worked with different techniques with the intention of framing or accentuating specific areas of the shop.

Author
Gonzalo Gutiérrez

Photos
Luis Díaz Díaz

Location
Málaga, España

Year
2023