Here we are with my third Urban Jungle gang. Dear Judith and Igor invited to go beyond our yard and search in the city for "social urban jungles", nests of nature cultivated in cafés, shops and restaurant. In Barcelona, I have no doubt my favorite ones belongs to Replay Flagship Store in Passeig de Gracia. The store designed by Florentine architectural firm Studio10 reinterprets the concepts already applied to the brand’s spaces in Milan and Florence of creating first a mental and emotional island to the hustle and bustle of the busiest commercial street of the city and offering people a meaningful emotional experience that goes beyond the usual "pick, buy and move on" one.
While walking down the Passeig, it impossible not to stop at least for a second and indulge in front of the lush vertical gardens that create the store windows: a jungle of several Philodendron species (P. scandens, P. giganteum, P. erubescens), ferns, Polypodium and many more that extends for more than 100 m2, with waterfall and sculptures.
Entering the store is a relaxing experience as you suddenly feel in another place, thanks to the sound of the water falling down and the humid verdant surroundings. From the entrance your attention is captured by another another hanging garden located at the rear of the store, in the patio.
Here, the industrial look typical to the Replay brand is also expressed by an extensive use of steel but in blocks, some of which become random containers for several plants. In this way, the courtyard is transformed into a sort of grand glass box stage of lush green foliage.
The vertical gardens were designed by Swedish landscape architect Michael Hellgren. Urban Jungle Bloggers, hope you enjoyed it!
