Montreal Airport Duty Free Shop - International Pier
Joining forces with the team at HUMÀ Design, Rümker took on the strategic integration of multiple brands cohabiting in the same airport space.
In addition to designing the furniture elements for the space, art direction made up a large part of the mandate. The challenge was to define a hierarchy for how the various sections, brands and promotions were presented.
Aesthetics
Canadian references well-established in the cultural imagination, the iconic moose and tree trunk are a clever nod to their location on the international jetty. With its impressive grandeur, the moose attracts travellers towards the duty free area. The massive tree trunks soaring from floor to ceiling break up the rigidity of the sections and brands soothingly. This verticality is a departure from the classic horizontal aesthetic of airports with their huge distances, in addition to softening the hard lines typically seen in commercial environments.
Arrangement
In addition to creating a cohesive hierarchy between sections, brands and offers, Rümker designed the modular furniture with consideration for the location’s long-term needs. The pieces produced could be visually wrapped in accordance with the duty free shop’s aesthetic or to tie-in with seasonal or sponsored promotions. We also had to take into consideration the airport’s central corridor which cuts directly through the store. We wanted to create an ambience where travellers wouldn’t feel like they were inside a store but rather passing through an aisle where they felt no pressure to make a purchase.
An interesting outcome: we developed a prototype for an interactive wall with an LED grid on a black background. For budgetary reasons the initial concept did not go forward, but the graphic grid was retained and integrated into the environment.
