A Sneak Preview of our Exciting New Starbucks at Westfield Stratford
Millions of people heading to the London Olympics will be able to see one of Starbucks most ambitious ever new-look stores. It’s part of the Westfield Stratford shopping centre – the largest mall in Europe, which forms a gateway to the Olympic Park and opens on September 13. The store is the latest of the new Starbucks designs which is changing the appearance of our coffeehouses across the UK and Ireland, making them more comfortable and welcoming than ever.
Our designers take their inspiration from the surroundings of each store and at Stratford the massive regeneration of the area and the futuristic architecture gave them plenty to work with.
In the past the UK played host to the Festival of Britain exhibition, which opened in 1951 on London’s South Bank. The architecture and design heralded the beginnings of a new and prosperous Britain. After the end of World War ll, much of the capital was still in ruins and redevelopment was badly needed. The Festival gave a feeling of recovery and progress through its bold design and architecture. In fact, the Festival was described as a ‘tonic for the nation.’ In 2011 there is hope that the regeneration of Stratford and the hosting of the Olympic Games will act as a similar tonic to help move the UK into a prosperous economy.
I always believed that our new store at Westfield Stratford needed to be part of this futuristic project and should look to inspire. I wanted to design a store that would stand out and grab the attention of the millions of visitors that will come to the development, but also to design a store that proudly celebrated our heritage. The brief from Westfield was to create a flagship-standard store that was unlike any other in the UK.
The store has been designed using the latest technology and reflects the modern architecture of the shopping mall as well as the futuristic design of buildings within the Olympic Park.
The full height glazed shop front has been printed on both sides with a new Starbucks pattern, creating a three-dimensional glass façade not seen before. This glazed shop front wraps into the store at both entrances and turns into a timber ceiling feature. A large communal table means people can meet in small or large groups to talk or use their laptops.
A further feature of the shop front are the fold-back windows allowing customers to enjoy their coffee while sitting on a tall bar overlooking the activity of the mall.
The overall design concept of the store is to create an exceptional and memorable place for shoppers and sports fans to meet or take some time out in this new part of London, one that the world will be watching and visiting for years to come.
We are looking forward to welcoming you at our new Starbucks at Westfield Stratford from 13th September 2011 onwards!
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Looks amazing! Can't wait to see it in person.
OMG i am so going to the costa up the road :D