Week Nine : Further Research on Retail Typology

Rather than reproducing the spatial models that accommodated the static and commercial models of current retail service, I am looking to produce models that anticipate future conditions. My intent is not to pursue the unconventional for the sake of difference, but rather the hope is to develop a design that acknowledges the emerging collaborative realities of business, exchange and community, and creates the conditions for engagement and enrichment at multiple levels. These conditions require not only a reconsideration of the spatial requirements, but also necessitate a redefinition of consumption.

Defining the existing micro typologies (adapted from NEU Urban Retail Publication)

Kiosk / kȅ-ȁsk / noun - a free standing (often mobile or temporary) structure, which allows vendor and buyer to circulate freely around it.

Characteristics:

·         Highly mobile, seasonal or temporary

·         Circulation around structure

·         Located outside near high traffic areas

·         Adds richness to streetscape with colours, noise and movement

Micro Retail / mȋi-krȍ rȅ-tȃl / noun - enclosed retail with small street frontage and minimal footprint. The required elements of retail (signage, product display, transaction counter) are strategically organised to take maximum advantage for the small space.

·         Highly efficient use of space

·         Display and storage are often limited

·         Provide very limited layout options and circulation paths

·         Exist often as anomalies in a shopping district cropping up in leftover space

 
Store / stor / noun - retail with medium store frontage and limited to one story of display space. Enough room in present to accommodate a variety of display layouts. This is the most common type of urban retail and in agglomeration, is the best at building a streetscape.

·         Multiple vendors often required

·         Located on the lower level of larger buildings

·         Freedom with display layouts

Mid Box / mid bȁks / noun - larger than the historic urban storefront and mostly a contemporary retail type, its large floor plate is planned on multiple levels. Many national chains utilise this size store for their urban flagship locations.

·         Large scale version of the store

·         Variety of layout options

·         Often larger chains

·         Sometimes multiple levels

These typologies represent a current day ideology about how society comes together to interact and exchange goods and services in a linear sense. The challenge of my emergent context however is to re-evaluate  the organisation and spatial requirements of the retail environment. Several notable trends reflect my own personal set of convictions about the role of this entity in its future scenario and include:

Pop-Up Retail - Pop-up inventions are a growing means of rejuvenating urban environments, where retail is classified as transient and evolves with the changing climate. It is essentially an evolution of the kiosk typology and interjects a sense of spontaneity and performance within a previously basic model. Not only does it challenge traditional consumption stereotypes but it also offers the opportunity for on-going animation of a physical setting.
Image sources: Design Build Source / Creea 

Modular Design - Similar to the transient animation of pop-up retail is the notion of modular design. In terms of a marketplace setting it is an emerging idea that allows for the immediate and continual reconfiguration of space. Not only can it draw heavily on the use of recycled materials but it also means that at a level of human interaction the built environment is adaptable to changing needs and requirements across various times. Image Sources: Coroflot / Inhabitat