Phygital reality

Carmelo Zappulla, the designer behind the latest Presented by retail store in Dubai, talks about blurring the lines between digital and physical space

- AIDAN IMANOVA

Having completed the design for the first Presentby consignment store in London with his Barcelona-based multidisciplinary practice External Reference, Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla soon went on to design the sneaker and streetwear brand’s retail concepts in Mexico City, Paris, Doha, Birmingham and Manchester, as well as a second London location for Harvey Nichols. Having shaped the brand’s design identity and retail concepts worldwide, Zappulla took on the additional title of creative director. Dubai is his latest venture with Presented by, which is located inside Level Shoes in The Dubai Mall.

“The world of retail needs a revolution and with Presented by we had the chance to boost a new creative vision all around the world,” he says. “When we designed the Dubai store, we knew we were creating a concept without precedents: a concentrate of innovation where art and design produce the next destiny for the sneaker community.”

The fully immersive and experiential store is wrapped in a 3D-printed lattice structure that showcases some of the most expensive and exclusive sneakers, while interactive projections decorate the walls and floors, encouraging visitors to interact with the space. At the centre of the store, one can watch a holographic show unfold. The store is designed to go beyond a typical retail experience and instead acts as an exhibition of audiovisual technologies and digital fabrication where the digital dimension informs the physical and vice versa. At its core, the store is an amalgamation of influences, including technology, fashion, urban culture and design.