Onora Flagship Store
Interior Design & Fabrication
Year: 2015
Status: Completed
Location: Polanco, México City
Photography: Jaime Navarro
Onora, the luxury brand of handmade products from Mexico, joined forces with industrial designer Emiliano Godoy and the design and production workshop Tuux for the design of its first store in Mexico City.
The store's design, located in the heart of Polanco, was conceived as a neutral platform where Onora's products would be the main protagonists. To ensure that the entire collection was properly presented, surfaces were created using oak wood, black wood, and completely white laminates, achieving the right contrast with Onora's textiles, gourds, beads, amate paper, and other products.
Upon entering the space, visitors are greeted by the store's main visual centerpiece: a paneling in black and gray pre-composed veneers, from which shelves and hangers displaying the most striking products of the collection protrude. With a simple pattern reminiscent of the brand's embroidery and textiles, this wall is the ideal setting for the craftsmanship of Mexican artisans, a space that respects their work and tradition while opening the door to the contemporary urban cosmopolitan context.
The store's structures, all made of oak wood, are adjustable in size and configuration, allowing the space to evolve with the brand's current and future collections. A large ceiling display system in the shop windows and the central hall of the store allows the presentation of products at different heights and in various arrangements through a wide variety of accessories and fittings. Additionally, shelves, bookcases, credenzas, and work tables were built where the products can be admired, handled, and even packed together with the customer. Among the many corners of the store, there are also some display cases for the most exclusive products of the collection. These display cases are illuminated with light panels on their upper faces, bathing unique pieces, special editions, and other Onora finds with light.
The collaboration between Onora and Tuux was born out of the shared values of both, primarily from the respect for the manual work of Mexican artisans and the intention to contribute to improving their standard of living and that of their community. Paying a fair price for the artisanal work, as well as for the workers at the Tuux workshop, reflects an awareness of the role that production and commercialization play in generating social welfare and national development.
In line with the environmental responsibility of this multidisciplinary team, the material palette used in the project includes wood from environmentally responsible sources, low-emission boards, and certified fibers, biodegradable and non-toxic finishes, as well as locally sourced volcanic stone. All lighting is low consumption with LED technology, including the signs and the lighting in the storage areas.