Alexandra Maier

Author(s) / Team representatives

Alexandra Maier

Profession

Arhitect

Collective/office

FOR

Co-authors/team members

Alexandra Spiridon

Project location

Timișoara, România

Budget în euros

20000

Usable area

70mp

Project start date

Noiembrie 2023

Construction completion date

1 aprilie 2024

Client

Azur S.A.

Builder

Metropolitan Standard

Website

See Website

Photo credits

Alexandru Todirică

Text presentation of the author/office in English

Architect and lighting designer, interested in the transdisciplinary aspects that characterize the relationship between light and architecture, university assistant at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning in Timișoara since 2012, co-founder of the collaborative platform F O R (2017 - present), founder of the LIGHT EDU platform, part of the teams for the Timișoara Architecture Annual (2014), De-a arhitectura, and last but not least, FABER (2017 - present). F O R is an interdisciplinary collaboration platform focused on facilitating and producing innovation for people and cities. Based on the premise of the intrinsic connection between mind and environment, F O R manifests in multiple directions: a professional SPACE dedicated to collaborative work, a workshop for prototyping and creating PRODUCTS, along with the determination and knowledge necessary to generate quality ARCHITECTURE for both individuals and cities.

Project description in English

The space hosting the Azur product showroom is located on the ground floor of the building that formerly housed the Azur Factory offices. It is situated right on the bank of the Bega River, with a surface area of 70 square meters in a rectangular layout. The interior design of the Azur paint shop is driven by two main factors: - Proximity to the Bega River: The space is "flooded" with a light blue color up to a height of 80 cm, which corresponds to the height of the entrance opening from the street. - Elements of the Azur brand identity: The blue color and the company logo, which features three adjoining hexagons. The dark blue "dome" dominates the space and serves as a backdrop for the variously colored paint containers. The hexagonal elements used include the display island for large containers and the custom-made suspended lighting fixtures, which vertically highlight the island and the sales counter. The horizontal surfaces have been finished with epoxy resin, both on the floor and on the counter and island, to enhance the reflections of natural and artificial light, creating tactilely friendly surfaces for customers. This invites them to explore the various color samples with curiosity, making the paint selection process more pleasant and intuitive. The colors used are not found in the usual palettes but are developed in collaboration with Azur technicians specifically for the shop. For a customer dealing with 165 types of products, packaged in over 1200 containers, two essential objectives were optimizing the space and improving the shopping experience. The shelves are designed to display the paint containers and painting tools, ensuring easy access to the desired products. The storage of containers is done in closed units, while the shelves display the products grouped by type. The modular, unpretentious, and functional shelving system evokes a workshop setting. To maintain a neat and professional appearance in the shop, a kitchenette and a clothing storage area have been discreetly integrated into the tall storage cabinets. The interior design of the Azur paint shop combines aesthetic and functional elements to create a space that reflects the brand's identity and offers a superior customer experience, with the intention of creating an emotional connection with its customers.