DOMENICO FARINARO. Creed fragrances flagship shop. Venice, Italy. Concept design of Can Onaner, developed design (with Can Onaner), technical design, project management, site supervision. The design of the Creed boutique in Venice continues the dialogue between tradition and modernity found in all Creed stores and underlying the brand's very philosophy. The specific historical moment identified by French architect Can Onaner as the stylistic reference that encapsulates this interplay is late 19th- and early 20th-century Vienna, evoking the atmosphere of the works of Adolf Loos and Joseph Hoffman.

Once again, in this boutique - a single small rectangular space in Calle Vallaresso, a stone’s throw from Harry’s Bar - the design employs the fundamental elements of classical architecture: pillars, pilasters, entablatures and coffered ceilings, stripped of all decoration to organise the space, creating a unity between floor, walls and ceiling in which the display units are seamlessly integrated into the architectural structures.

The interior space is thus divided into rectangular bays where the architectural expression is defined by the language of the materials themselves: the veining of the marble, the reflections of the brass and mirrors, and the regularity of the brass grilles reveal their ornamental power through their precious materiality.

Traditional architectural elements are reimagined in a contemporary style, creating a contrast between the thickness and grandeur of the marble and the refinement and delicacy of the lines and surfaces in satin-finished brass. The thickness of the marble and the monolithic forms of the display units are used to create an interior that evokes a sense of robustness and permanence, whilst the slenderness of the metal elements gives the impression of a fragile and precious décor of an ephemeral nature.