The Olaf Hussein team comprises a group of urban, diverse and friendly people: passionate about streetwear, but valuing genuine connections over bland coolness. The brands latest monobrand concept location is celebration of relationships, both human and environmental, captured in a modular, friendly minimalist aesthetic.

The store is located in two adjacent ground floor spaces of separate historic buildings that have been connected through a small passage. Over time, many alterations have resulted in an odd eight columns scattered throughout the 150m2 space.

The spatial concept embodies a gallery-like experience featuring a continuous horseshoe wall connecting the two spaces. We placed clothing on the inside and outside of the horseshoe and in three places the wall is punctured by two displays or vitrines, and the third puncture connects the horseshoe with the courtyard so natural light comes in from the back. The courtyard is another really nice feature of this space because it helped create a very logical area for fitting rooms – accessible yet private and there’s beautiful light coming in from the courtyard. The blue showpiece at the end of the store is both a window display and a store-facing display and seating element. Each item in the space has been made with a curve to match the radius of the horseshoe. The u-turn shaped trajectory cleverly navigates visitors past the mirror-clad columns.

The floor has a brown tone and the cardboard main wall is grey, in order to create a neutral background for the clothing. The economic, flexible and sustainable qualities of the cardboard tubes, combined with the tactile appeal of their round and soft textures, fit well with the ‘friendly minimalist’ ethos that defines the brand.

The sustainability strategy for the interior is twofold. Firstly, cardboard is always sourced locally and easily recycled into new cardboard. Consequently, the environmental impact of cardboard is extremely low and it’s truly circular. Secondly, the other fixtures were produced in untreated, low-grade stainless steel. Although the environmental impact during production is high, it’s easy to recycle – not downcycle - and we avoided coatings, paint or other finishes that could contribute to hazardous waste.

photography: Maarten Willemstein