On 3rd February 2017, Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) launched their brand new Flagship store in Barcelona, Spain, which is sited on Passeig de Gràcia, one of the major avenues in Barcelona and one of its most important shopping and business areas, containing several of the city’s most celebrated pieces of architecture.

dpa undertook the lighting design of the historical lobby and the newly introduced Flax & Kale café, within the heritage spaces of this 1950’s property, which was a former HQ for insurance company Banco Vitalicio de España.

The lighting scheme for the historic lobby features decorative custom pendant luminaires with dedicated, directional lighting to the merchandise displays.  At the same time, finely integrated linear lighting solutions accentuate the important architectural features within the space, whilst being respectful to the buildings heritage.

The Flax & Kale café represents an innovative new concept and experience for H&M.  The lighting provides a clean, airy yet warm space that compliments the interior architecture and distinguishes itself from the adjacent retail areas.  At the same time, the design seamlessly combines the bright and fun character of H&M with the warmth and design lines of the Flax & Kale tradition.

The lighting installation is fully reversible, with minimal disturbance to the historic building fabric, whilst achieving a theatrical lit result for customers to enjoy.

Client:   Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)
Café Operator: Flax & Kale, Barcelona
Flax & Kale Interior Designer:  Estudi Francesc Pons, Barcelona
Photography: dpa lighting consultants