Dyson’s first UK store will blow you away
A concept store for British technology firm Dyson has opened on London’s Oxford street. Known as the ‘Dyson Demo’, the retail project is a collaboration between Sir James Dyson and architecture practice Wilkinson Eyre. The space is engineered to encourage visitors to pick-up, test and experience the company’s technology. The interactive store is the first such outlet in the UK, and forms the most recent addition to a growing number of demo spaces planned for other major cities around the world.
Within the gallery-like space, Wilkinson Eyre has displayed products on plinths, while technical information is communicated via video walls. Measuring a total of 200 square meters, the scheme seeks to celebrate the design, engineering and innovation of Dyson. Customers are able to access a variety of information, from initial conceptual ideas to details of the technology incorporated into each product.
The products are displayed across two floors linked by a glowing backlit white glass stair. The upper floor is set back to provide a double-height entrance space, while the mezzanine incorporates a glazed balustrade balanced on a sharp chamfered soffit — allowing visual connections from the first floor across to Oxford street and Selfridges. On both storeys, a continuous line of video screens show films and images of Dyson products.
‘It is terrific to see the completion of the first Dyson Demo in London,’ comments Chris Wilkinson, founding director at Wilkinson Eyre. ‘Working closely with the Dyson team we have created an exciting and dynamic new space that is much more than a shop, it is a destination where you can test the products and explore the way they work. Working with James has allowed my team and I to design spaces that truly reflect the values and ethos of Dyson. From the DC01 production line in Chippenham, the Malmesbury campus, the Paris showroom, and now the new Dyson Demo on Oxford street; we have continuously strived to design spaces for the company that fit its purpose. There is great continuity.’
‘It is by picking up and experiencing Dyson products that you are able to understand why and how we use new technology to improve performance,’ adds Jake Dyson, research design and development director. ‘The Dyson Demo encourages people to be hands-on. The supersonic salon introduces hair science to the High street for the first time, and nowhere else can choose between 64 types of dust and debris to test a vacuum cleaner.’
