Tacklebox Architecture’s Design for Claus Porto’s NYC Store is Layered with Portuguese References
An 1800’s New York storefront is a fitting home for the first U.S. outpost of Claus Porto, the Portuguese brand known for its azulejo-inspired soap packaging, that itself was founded in 1887 in Porto. The 550-square-foot interior by Tacklebox Architecture is dominated by a freestanding archway, displaying soaps and fragrances, that’s layered with Portuguese references. Its shape derives from the São Bento train Station, first proposed in 1887. Its diamond patterning mimics the tiled facade of the historic Casa dos Bicos. And it’s milled out of cork, a rapidly renewable, acoustics-enhancing material, much of which is produced in the country. At the center of the shop, a monolithic washbasin that nods to the ritual of daily cleansing is carved from, of course, Portuguese marble.
