Scentre Group, Westfield Newmarket, Auckland

Brief
Design a series of innovative, affordable, modular solutions to be used by pop-up retailers and tenants completing fitouts for the opening of Westfield Newmarket.

Putting the pop into pop-up shops
Scentre Group, which owns and operates Westfield Newmarket centre, came to us with an exciting brief for the 4.5-hectare site. They wanted innovative shopfront designs that would marry with the world-class development; structures to be used by pop-up retailers as well as shopfronts under fitout.

The design journey was collaborative and fast-paced from the start. It began with a kick-off workshop where our architectural graduates presented fresh ideas which we then developed through rapid-fire iterations, delivering three bespoke solutions for the stage one opening.

Neutral colours and clean, simple design complemented diverse brands. The three shopfront options, which include natural timber portals, black mesh, and steel frame units, and a simpler scaffolding solution, can all be dressed up or down as tenants make the space their own in terms of look, feel, lighting, and product display.

The temporary shopfronts are affordable and quick to build, assemble, move, and reconfigure, enabling Scentre Group to use and re-use the designs as pop-up tenancies change and new stores open.

Collectively, the designs have a powerful effect on the overall look and feel. Open shopfronts free of glass or door closures create a sense of transparency and different treatments make for a unique shopping experience – befitting one of the country’s most exciting new retail precincts.