Light fantastic: Rev Architecture creates a dynamic new window concept for Nirav Modi

He has worked with Jaime Hayon and Atelier Marika Chaumet to design interiors for his flagship boutiques in the world’s top cities, and now the Indian jeweller Nirav Modi  has cast his keen design eye to Rev Architecture for a new retail concept. Modi has invited Paris-based Rev to design a new window motif for his eponymous brand’s international boutiques.

Rev’s keen understanding of what retail concepts entail – they have created dynamic interiors for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co – means they are are well-versed in the need for a fine balance between art and commerce. As such, Rev founders Cristiano Benzoni and Sophie Thuillier have come up with a unique glass pattern that delicately hovers between the figurative and abstract.

Sketch of the organic pattern, which is capable of growing and expanding alongside Nirav Modi's new stores

‘We tried to find a design from nature which is common to all the Nirav Modi collections,’ says Benzoni, when we meet during a recent visit to London. ‘We also wanted to work with the idea of fragility, and the way it turns itself to strength,’ he says, referencing a drop of water, a glimmer of light in a diamond; tiny specks that are deceptively resilient.

Rev’s concept fused their own architectural approach with Nirav Modi’s brand touchpoints, such as the floral motif. As Benzoni puts it: ‘We considered how we could inject our brand culture inside their brand culture.’ The pattern is organic, with the ability to grow and develop according to the locations and sizes of the new stores. Thuillier explains: ‘The façade is created from different modules, each of which has a different composition of flowers, colours and pattern.’

Three differently sized flowers connect and create the pattern between the modules, but though it seems random, the repetition is a modular mechanical composition, an algorithm in flux. Its modern nature reflects the complex techniques applied to Nirav Modi’s jewellery design, while keeping that sense of floral fragility.

To express the complexity in three dimensions, Benzoni and Thuillier worked mostly with 3D images, citing them as the most accurate way to articulate their concept. The nature of light play was key. ‘We wanted to create something like a mirage between reflection and transparency inside the store,’ Benzoni explains.

Creating the façade from three different layers of glass meant reflections occur between them, creating an added layer of intrigue. The overall effect is pure, but red and pink tones – Nirav Modi’s signature hues – were introduced to add richness and warmth. As the light changes, so does the mood, the street reflections enhancing the façade’s sentient qualities.

The effect is beautiful and – more significantly – functional. ‘What we do is always an extension of something – a user, an attitude, a dream,’ Benzoni says. ‘The design is a consequence of use.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Nirav Modi website and the REV Architecture website

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