Up There’s innovative new store is more than bricks and mortar

The coronavirus pandemic amped up online retail sales, with digital contributing more than 10.5 per cent of all retail trade in 2020-21.

But as things snap back to a new normal and tourists and students return, many retailers are returning to CBD bricks and mortar, creating new experiences that entice shoppers to explore.

Up There’s stylish new Flinders Lane store.

“However, you really need to focus on the quality of the bricks,” says architect Patrick Kennedy, co-director of Kennedy Nolan Architects.

Unlike many large projects, such as multi-residential, which can take years to build, retail jobs are “considerably faster and more intense, given the time period needed to open a store’s doors,” Kennedy says.

The Fitzroy architect recently completed a stunning new fit-out for streetwear clothing company Up There at 69 Flinders Lane, below Sargood House.

“We didn’t want to go with an architect who has a distinctive retail ‘signature’,” says store owner James Barrett who, along with partners Jason Paparoulas and Brendan Mitchell, moved to the new shop from their former digs in McKillop Street. “It was about creating the right environment for our clientele as much as the international labels we stock,” he says.

“Our business has grown, and we need more space,” adds Paparoulas, who was keen to inject a sense of playfulness in the new premises. Kennedy worked with colleague architects Adriana Hanna and Candice Chan in bringing that into the bespoke design.

Given the store is a half-level below pavement level, distinctive 1970s green signage – produced by branding agency TCYK – sets up a pause for shoppers strolling past.

Green awnings over the entrance attract the buyers, with broad-tiered stainless steel tactile indicators within the entrance assisting people making the transition into the partly subterranean space of about 350 square metres.

Up There’s vibrant new space.

While there is a perforated galvanised steel counter upon arrival, it is the two “temple dogs”, jewellery vitrines created in vibrant coloured lacquered joinery, that make you sit up and take notice. “These are touchstone points before you start to explore the store,” says Kennedy.

While the warehouse-style space, with its exposed ceiling ducts, has a strong industrial aesthetic, it is tempered with a lush overlay: Vibrant green carpet to match the company’s logo and sumptuous orange velvet curtains in the dressing area, concealed behind steel walls.

Kennedy Nolan also allowed the main hanging space, an innovative steel structure, to be easily accessed from both sides.

“You want to avoid having people feeling as though they are jostling for room,” says Barrett, who was just as conscious of allowing shoppers the time and space to look at accessories on the main counter, which extends almost the full length of the store.

Constructed with a polycarbonate base and backlit, the unit can be activated to change colour, depending on the mood required.

Another important component of the design brief was to create a series of booths that would offer collaborations with the designer products that Up There stocks, which include Norse Projects, Kapital, Margaret Howell, MHL and 4SDesigns.

“If there was a source of inspiration for the layout, it would be the Dover Street Market, Comme des Garcons’ retail experience in Ginza, Tokyo,” says Paparoulas.

The fit-out also includes a separate area for sneaker buffs as well as a cafe at the rear, complete with a customised timber table made from silky oak and designed by Chair Boi.

Retail is in a challenging environment, with cost-of-living pressures mounting and rising interest rates taking a big bite out of disposable incomes.

Many retailers hope that a low price tag will be enough to entice a purchase. However, for Up There, it is also about having the correct ambience and stock, much of which is androgynous and strong on comfort.

The fleecy patchwork plaid shirts by Needles Clothing, beautifully stitched, are as comfortable as walking through this innovative new store.

“We’ve spent over 10 years building a loyal clientele,” Barrett says. “We’ve come to know what they’re looking for, not just in fashion but also in the type of space they want to be in.”

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