art deco inspiration for Harrods marble refurbishment
Harrods has consolidated its menswear department from smaller areas on 3 separate floors to the whole of the second floor, as part of its wider refurbishment project. The move has been overseen by Simon Longland, the head of menswear for the store and David Collins Studio who designed the entire floor with one over-arching concept to create consistency throughout the different rooms.
The design used an art deco theme inspired by the traditional feel of men’s tailoring.
Carrara and Bardiglio marbles were used in a chequerboard with a Nero Marquina border throughout the department for the walkway floors. Elsewhere the same marbles were combined in differing geometric formations, with Katuba Sodalite adding a touch of blue on occasion.
stoneCIRCLE supplied and installed the marble for the refit which took place in 4 stages: the first was Men’s Footwear. Here Bardiglio was used to create columns for the shoes to rest on, sometimes combined with bands of Carrara with Nero Marquina detailing.
The next two stages were both part of the Mens Contemporary area. Concentric and exocentric squares formed of Bardiglio, Carrara and Nero Marquina were used in some areas, and Katuba Sodalite substituted for the Bardiglio in the others. The walls were panelled with Nero Marquina, with the addition of Bardiglio in polished, scratched and sandblasted finishes.
Katuba Sodalite display panel
Inlaid marble squares in Mens Outdoor
The final stage was Men’s Outdoor. For this stage, the panels on the floor were square inserts of Nero Marquina and Bardiglio into Carrara marble. Nero Marquina was used for the wall panels.
All materials were sourced in Italy during visits by the client team and Steve Vanhinsbergh, one of stoneCIRCLE’s directors. stoneCIRCLE made full use of their Slabsmith photo station, photographing the marble for the walls, columns and counters and then matching the veins to produce the very best results. Below is a video showing the chequerboard floor being manufactured and after installation.
project details
client: Harrods
designer (menswear): David Collins Studio
contractor mens contemporary designer collections phase 1: Jaysam
contractor mens contemporary designer collections phase 2, mens shoes: TC&D
contractor mens outdoor: Clements Retail Ltd
materials: Bardiglio, Carrara, Nero Marquina, Katuba Sodalite
photography: Marco Joe Fazio