MORE AND MORE, INTERIOR DESIGN IS BECOMING A CONCEPTUAL QUESTION. FASHION DESIGNER ROSA CORTANA WANTED HER BARCELONA STORE TO BE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A FOREST OF GARMENTS: THE CLIENT WAS TO BE IMMERSED IN A MAGIC WALK AMID DRESSES, SKIRTS AND BLOUSES. BUT IN SHARING THE PROJECT WITH HER BROTHER, ARCHITECT TOMEU ESTEVA, THIS IDEA WAS CONSTRAINED TO A DEGREE OF MEASURE. HOWEVER, SOMETHING OF A GARDEN HAS REMAINED IN THE SHOP, MAINLY IN THE CELLAR WHERE THE FITTING ROOMS ARE FOUND.

Garment Forest
The floor of this space is made up of small marble pieces spread out like rubble. This solution, in search of aesthetic impact, turned out to be functional, since the stone absorbs humidity. If we keep in mind that the rear facade of the store gives onto Carrer Rec (which owes its name to the old water flow that used to supply this part of the city), it is simply perfect. The fitting rooms are not amazingly comfortable, but the waiting room is pleasing. There are even two comfortable armchairs to allow companions to wait patiently. But here the objective was to create a neutral area allowing the client to try on all types of garments without the encircling effect of decoration adding further confusion to trying and choosing, always a complex and serious matter. Returning to the ground floor, Cortana’s exclusive garments, famous for their mutational possibilities, are arranged in hangers suspended on long metal bars. The efficiently organised space includes drawers that can both store and display: there is something of a sophisticated bazaar in the air of the waiting room. The short, winding route through the shop helps to achieve this effect. Natural light coming from the two facades of the store contrasts with the electric light inside. Cortana has contributed together with other stores to renovate the commercial physiognomy of Carrer Flassaders, where in addition to the design of objects and interiors there is now a growing trend toward fashion design.