Arsenal Finsbury

Description

Working with the Arsenal Retail team to redevelop Arsenal’s retail spaces at the Emirates Stadium, The Armoury flagship and Finsbury Park stores.

Background

The Armoury is Arsenal’s showcase store at the Emirates Stadium. Customers heading into the shop enjoy a full-on retail experience. Including exciting digital content on large screens. The thrill of a match day by sitting in Unai Emery’s touchline chair. Even sampling the smell of freshly-cut grass in the stadium-themed changing rooms. The Arsenal Store at Highbury captures the essence of what it means to be a Gooner. The store at Finsbury Park station offers a convenient pit stop version.

Challenges
The briefs from Arsenal are unique and nearly always creative in their demands. For example, as part of an in-store photo opportunity, we were asked how we might design a plinth for a lightweight cannon to sit on. The key challenge was around making a robust and safe step-up for fans, in a high volume retail settling, whilst also ensuring th the plinth meets the needs of EA making this a full accessible photo opportunity experience. Or how to safely hang large-scale LED neon-effect crest from the roof. The challenges also come in the form of variables. We need to be able to react quickly. Retail reinvention and on-the-ball refurbishments are the name of the game here. This can be sparked by anything from the latest big name signing to a new manager to a change of sponsorship..

Solutions
It’s all about teamwork. Close collaboration with the designers is what gets this ultra-creative project over the line. Each element has some aspect of innovation. There are no restrictions on thinking.