This flagship concept store for customisable eyewear brand Dresden Vision, located in Greenwich Village in New York, is a commercial retail interior design project built around the theme of duality and optical perception. Vision conditions such as myopia and hyperopia are corrected using concave and convex lenses, and these forms appear throughout the space in structure and detail. The concept also draws from heterochromia, a condition where two colours exist within the same iris, sparking the idea of a Blurred side and a Focused side, which become two contrasting atmospheres that form one cohesive retail environment. The design explores how visual processing can be translated spatially through materiality, lighting and zoning to reflect how the eye interprets the world.
The shopfront takes cues from ocular anatomy, with entry through a circular iris and a floorplan that mimics the path light travels to the retina, which is the part of the eye that converts light into visual information.
The brief called for two distinct retail experiences: a quick grab and go eyewear zone, and a customisation zone where customers could 3D print frame components and select colourways before final assembly. The layout also accommodates an optometry room and flexible seating that can function as both a waiting area and a demonstration space.
The Focused side houses the customisation area. Its material palette of illuminated glass bricks, terrazzo and aluminium references Manhattan’s skyscrapers and gestures toward futurism. In contrast, the Blurred side supports the grab and go function, drawing from the layered cultural history of Greenwich Village through burnt orange carpet, Sottssas timber veneers and a looser visual rhythm inspired by record stores, brownstones and tree lined streets. At the rear sits the Retina, a slate crazy paved zone with tiered seating used for product demonstrations or waiting with the optometrist.
Material selection is integral to the customer experience. Carpet, limewash, timber veneer, terrazzo and glass bricks were chosen for how they visually shift when viewed with or without lenses, appearing soft or sharply defined depending on the wearer’s perspective. The store becomes a live testing ground for eyewear, with architectural finishes that support the product experience. Materials were also selected with lifecycle in mind, so each element can be recycled, disassembled or repurposed.
Dresden Vision - Concept Store
Retail Interior Design
Commercial | Retail - Greenwich Village NY
Retail Interior Design
Commercial | Retail - Greenwich Village NY
This flagship concept store for customisable eyewear brand Dresden Vision, located in Greenwich Village in New York, is a commercial retail interior design project built around the theme of duality and optical perception. Vision conditions such as myopia and hyperopia are corrected using concave and convex lenses, and these forms appear throughout the space in structure and detail. The concept also draws from heterochromia, a condition where two colours exist within the same iris, sparking the idea of a Blurred side and a Focused side, which become two contrasting atmospheres that form one cohesive retail environment. The design explores how visual processing can be translated spatially through materiality, lighting and zoning to reflect how the eye interprets the world.
The shopfront takes cues from ocular anatomy, with entry through a circular iris and a floorplan that mimics the path light travels to the retina, which is the part of the eye that converts light into visual information.
The brief called for two distinct retail experiences: a quick grab and go eyewear zone, and a customisation zone where customers could 3D print frame components and select colourways before final assembly. The layout also accommodates an optometry room and flexible seating that can function as both a waiting area and a demonstration space.
The Focused side houses the customisation area. Its material palette of illuminated glass bricks, terrazzo and aluminium references Manhattan’s skyscrapers and gestures toward futurism. In contrast, the Blurred side supports the grab and go function, drawing from the layered cultural history of Greenwich Village through burnt orange carpet, Sottssas timber veneers and a looser visual rhythm inspired by record stores, brownstones and tree lined streets. At the rear sits the Retina, a slate crazy paved zone with tiered seating used for product demonstrations or waiting with the optometrist.
Material selection is integral to the customer experience. Carpet, limewash, timber veneer, terrazzo and glass bricks were chosen for how they visually shift when viewed with or without lenses, appearing soft or sharply defined depending on the wearer’s perspective. The store becomes a live testing ground for eyewear, with architectural finishes that support the product experience. Materials were also selected with lifecycle in mind, so each element can be recycled, disassembled or repurposed.