Lauren O’Gorman

Project 1: Dimes and Matter

‘Dimes and Matter’ came from a project set to design a store at a given location on Grafton Street, gathering inspiration from surrounding areas.

Earthy tones, organic shapes, and smooth surfaces are the elements I wanted to incorporate into my design using inspiration from St. Stephens Green.
I was inspired by the juxtaposition of the peaceful, nature-filled park a mere 15 meters from Dublin’s busiest street. I wanted to design a store that would serve as a representation of this.

I considered this when I used the same soft pink polished concrete from floor to ceiling to give a raw, natural finish. I wanted it to look as though the till and gondolas had grown smoothly from the ground, and the shelves were natural hollows in the walls. I also used warm, complementary tones for the inset shelving to create a contrast and allow the product to pop.

I established a close connection between the organic and man-made aspects of a store and essentially proposed the question of ‘how would a shop look if it grew naturally?’