Designed by international award-winning architects E2, also the designers of London’s landmark Millennium Dome, the revolutionary store concept has been designed to place the customer at the centre of the store experience.
Shaped like an eyeball, the core element of the store is the ‘iris,’ housing the most expensive brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari and Versace. The products are showcased in the form of a rare wine vault with exclusive designer glasses visible from every area of the store. An Eye Hub at the store offers education areas for research on eye problems and prescriptions and semi-private spaces for consultation at the push of a button.
The 16,000 square feet concept store has been designed as a one-of-its-kind retail outlet where every customer can dictate its desires. Futuristic elements to capture the attention of today’s Internet generation has been introduced such as customer’s photos that are snapped at the camera kiosks in-store can be posted to Facebook and other sites to get their friends’ opinions before the purchase.
The store features a wind machine, a treadmill, machines that simulate snow and water glare, and 41 touch screens that serve as cameras and mirrors for shoppers to check out the frames.
The store also features an Oakley Pressure Chamber and REVO Elements Room with a custom-made wind tunnel and variable light settings to allow customers to test potential frames for glare and wind resistance in a host of hazardous conditions before the purchase. Touch-screen interactive mirrors that allow people to play back their new look; and a secure play area with a soft wall and videos, where parents can leave their children while they shop, are other features of this concept store.
Located in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, the store houses the biggest selection of high-end eyewear in the southern hemisphere and is part of OPSM Eye Hub, Australia’s equivalent of LensCrafters. Luxottica plans to build up to 15 stores in the US, China and the U.K. by 2013.
