Psychological effects of commercial retail architecture
What began as an exploration into the psychological effects of commercial retail architecture has manifested in the pedestal. The retail 'box' serves as a tangible embodiment of retail seduction, symbolizing the allure of commercial spaces designed to entice consumers. Materials used in such spaces engage the senses and trigger emotional responses, with surfaces often carrying positive or negative connotations. This pedestal delves into these associations, focusing on themes of luxury and elegance through selected textures and materials.
While minimalist in form, the sculpture mimics real-life interactions between users and spatial objects, attempting to allure the user to observe and linger further. The glass and aluminium flower arrangements, inspired by the real floral displays at Amsterdam’s Bijenkorf, stand as a symbol of recognized luxury. In its design, this work reflects and critiques the seductive nature of modern commercial spaces.
The purpose of the pedestal is to attract the user to come and see closer. The work addresses the issues of duality. How come, as designers we know how much object materiality can affect people’s minds and how to make customers linger and consume further? However, as we are all humans, we enjoy being manipulated as much as we understand the reality of things. We are emotionally connected to, moved by, and motivated through spaces and objects. Retail is made to be enjoyable and entertaining. Malls and department stores are extremely delightful to be in, catering to our desires of what our ideal self is doing, looking. Therefore, it is the phenomenon of manipulation that becomes extremely questionable.
This piece is a venture at the commercial pedestal, as I put things to the test. Seeing if it is possible to mimic the commercial language, exaggerating the everyday pedestal, and amplifying the attractiveness of the everyday pedestal. The pedestal is a manifestation of what duality meant to me. Be conscious of what makes it attractive and lively, yet be attracted and lured in at the same time.
The question remains: Do we wish to be manipulated by such spaces in order to experience luxury?
