Space-age design of the future at Petrovich

Petrovich Building Trade House is one of the largest Russian DIY retail chains, ranking 2nd in the country among comparable companies. Until 2015, Petrovich operated in the North-West and Central regions, after which it entered the Moscow market, where it is actively expanding by opening its own retail centres. As an innovative tool, the company decided to use a digital shop-in-shop, an entirely new sales channel in DIY retail that increases awareness among DIY shoppers in Moscow and shapes the brand image.

Inspired by the theme of "space-age design of the future" set by the client, the Brandson creative team analysed the most popular films and games in science-fiction settings using the formal-stylistic method. So how do you portray the future and space technology? Brandson broke down all the techniques and identified three conceptual directions that made up the palette of the project's distinctive features:

Bionic: characterised by natural structures and the smooth flow of forms.

Technology and minimalism: uses simple forms, illumination and transparency.

Game aesthetics: applies a modular approach, complex forms and colours.

Having settled on the main vectors, the Brandson team set about the development. The final style of the compact retail point references at once the futuristic architecture of Zaha Hadid with its imitation of biological forms, the neon aesthetics of the film Tron and the bridge of a spaceship, since in the mass consciousness this kind of look is associated with innovation and the future.

A cylindrical space with screens imitates two walls and the floor of an apartment, and the textures on them correspond to the designs of finishing materials, which can be changed interactively using a tablet mounted next to a small sofa. Developing the space theme, the specialists of the environmental design department proposed various layout options based on the shape of the slide rule used to calculate Δv (delta-v), the quantity describing the change in a spacecraft's velocity required to perform an orbital manoeuvre. That is why all the elements of the stand were inscribed in a circle, and segmented circles, resembling elements of the digital interfaces of complex engineering systems, became the basis for the graphics.

To make the retail point not only striking but also ergonomic, the Brandson team took care of ease of passage by setting comfortable distances between the structural elements. During development, the area of the point grew from 12 m2 to 26 m2 to ensure user convenience.

The zoning provides a separate illuminated desk for the manager, closed off at the back by a decorative panel to reduce noise, as well as an additional workstation with a touchscreen where customers can choose finishes on the Petrovich website while waiting their turn at the demonstration screens. Graphics cannot be applied to the floor of the shopping centre, so the entire structure was placed on a podium inside which the cables and other technical elements could be hidden.

The project was implemented on a proprietary IT platform. The digital showroom is equipped with modern LCD displays. They deliver a sharp image as well as high visibility and uniform brightness across the seamless video wall. The digital room's range includes thousands of finishing materials. Other equipment includes a tablet for design modelling, a touchscreen for ordering products and a comfortable sofa.