Jessica F Wang

This project investigates the evolution of a new urban hybrid typology in Retail Design and Museum Design. ‘Someday all museums will become department stores and all stores will become museums.’ Andy Warhol. In recent years, online shopping is becoming a raising issue for the retail industry, therefore, my project challenges the paradigm of combining both of the institutions to create a more meaningful and unique shopping experience. 

Memories and stories make objects come alive, making them more interesting, more relevant and imbued with meaning. The 15 selected artefacts from the Museum of London represent a wide range of objects that have a significant connection with one self and a traceable provenance in respect of the creating and making. ‘Nothing has meaning until one gives it meaning.’ By giving those artefacts meaning, it is giving each object a sense of ownership, identity and memory to self; therefore, becoming an act of personalizing.

These objects are a representation of self and often symbolize something more than their intrinsic nature, and this is often preserved over the years, giving future generations an appreciation and a sense of value that has evolved through time.

Alongside the museum artifacts from the past, the 8 partners selected from Notonthehighstreet.com represent a range of small-scale artists and designer’s who produces the most unique, and never before seen products that are each individually craft and handmade; and provides fascinating personal narratives. Their products reflect and hold a traditional essence of craft and making, the tried and true, the histories and personal memories. Notonthehighstreet.com is where everything has a story and for you to create a story of your own. 

My store is an oasis within the busy surrounding landscape of Old Spitalfield Market, where I’ve collected objects from the past and small- creative businesses which all reflect a love for the essence of hand-made objects and creating something with a powerful story behind that projects an intimate relationship between self and object. It is not just a place where the partners create but it is also a place where everyone can take the time to find inspiration, participate in the making process but also an experience you can find no where else. 

The design combines the building’s existing structural elements with bespoke display compositions that grow out of two linear structure that travels through the whole space connecting all the partners and museum artifacts together. The grey metal structure will connect all the partners display and workshop spaces alongside different oak wood for display compositions, whereas the oak structure connects all the museum artifacts alongside mycelium material for the display stands.

By exposing the strong structural elements of the market roof beams into the space and open up part of first floor plan allows natural light to shine in through the roof, as well as reframing the existing beautiful raw material palette of concrete, bricks and dark metals.