The Conran Shop opens its new location on London’s Sloane Square, marking a new era and direction for the company. Regarded as one of the city’s leading design destinations, Founded in 1973 by Sir Terence Conran, The Conran Shop began its history as, in the words of its founder, ‘a home of considered design and curated living’, and over the past five decades it has remained an exciting key figure of the London design shopping scene.
The Conran Shop, Sloane Square
The new Sloane Square store represents a turning point in the company’s history. Designed by Mark Upstone, The Conran Shop's Global Head of Visual Merchandising, and brought to life by Apt Design, the space offers a new point of view on the company's designs, as it moves towards a focus on collections created through collaborations with Matthew Hilton, Daniel Schofield, Samuel Wilkinson and more.
‘The new store will look like a home,’ says Peter Jenkins, CEO of The Conran Shop, who for the past two and a half years has worked on developing the company’s new era. He is guided by the spirit of Sir Terence Conran himself, having access to dozens of his books, long-term collaborators still involved in the company and even a Desert Island Discs episode.
‘We have this richness of legacy of our founder, to draw inspiration from,’ he says. ‘And that's been the centre of our focus, to get back to being the home of considered design, to curate people's living spaces. Terence did that brilliantly, he was focused on travelling the world and bringing in products that you couldn't find anywhere else. And that's been at the centre of what we've done over the last two years.'
The product is the store’s starting point, not a collection but a series of well-considered objects and furniture designs that come together into a well-curated, home-like experience throughout the store. ‘We've tried to really, really be thoughtful all the way through the space here,’ adds Jenkins. ‘The store will be somewhere where you don't just transact, but where you can get design, inspiration, design information, and be aware of other things that are going on. We don’t just want to open a shop, we want to connect with design.’
To bring the space to life, Jenkins worked with art consultancy, Fine Line Art, to curate artworks throughout the store and give a further sense of a warm, domestic space. Additionally, artist Charlie Sheppard created one of his signature mosaic-like pieces for the store, a colourful, graphic addition to the space.
The Conran Shop identity by Pentagram
Central to the brand’s new era (and the first element visitors to the new Conran Shop will approach as they arrive) is a new visual identity led by Pentagram partner Sascha Lobe (who won a 2019 Wallpaper* Design Award for the signage at Amorepacific’s HQ in Seoul).
‘Sascha has an innate understanding of Conran,’ says Jenkins. A modern rebranding, the new identity reflects Conran’s dedication to progress, design, and excellence, and represents both the brand’s past and its future.
Lobe also created what promises to be among the new store’s most eye-catching spaces, namely a Le Corbusier-inspired bathroom, based on the architect’s Modulor Man. Following thorough research into his design and philosophy, the new space by Lobe is based on a flexible tile system with 18 different modules with a typographic visual theme.
Back to Conran’s roots
Moving to Sloane Square carries a deep significance for the brand, firstly as it was important to remain in Chelsea following the closing of the store’s Michelin Building location, but also as this is the spot where Sir Terence Conran lived for several years in the 2000s and 2010s. ‘It felt like a new home for us, a perfect place to showcase a new beginning,’ adds Jenkins.
It’s both a new beginning and a look back at the ethos of the company, at everything Conran the man has signified for British design and beyond. ‘The most important part of any story about Conran is the history, the heritage, the purpose: we've tried to return the business to that essence,’ says Jenkins. ‘To be successful, a brand has to connect with its purpose, understand why it exists. And we will forever be connected to Sir Terence Conran, and we will continue to celebrate his essence and his spirit.’
The Conran Shop
16 Sloane Square
SW1 WAQ
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