Huuun Has Clear Vision for Spanish Eyewear Brand Cottet’s Barcelona Flagship

Spanish eyewear brand Cottet Óptica y Audiología has been around for 117 years, and while its frames look stylish and modern, its retail presence in Barcelona needed a refresh. Enter Valencia-based Huuun, which developed a forward-thinking concept for the brand’s 11,000-square-foot flagship in Rambla Catalunya, located across two floors of a building that itself is more than 100 years old.

At the entrance, shoppers encounter a juxtaposition of three oversized audiovisual screens against raw industrial elements such as cast-iron columns and exposed ceilings. Custom birch display units suspended on vertical brass tubes offer eyewear for customers to peruse and model in the circular and rectangular mirrors. Cottet’s signature green pops up on perimeter walls and other details, complimented by the natural greenery in plant boxes and living walls.

And because the point of shopping here is to see better and look better, lighting was key. The team used a combination of products from Nexia, Flos, Vibia, and Faro Iluminación. “The concept works with different light tones,” says Huuun’s managing director Miguel Lozano. “For instance, a semi-cold light enhances the products, while a warmer tone is chosen for customer service and waiting rooms. And an indirect tone is used to generate a uniform light envelope in space, where each corner has its importance.”

Read more: Best Retail Projects of 2019