In the Philippines, the name "Rustan's" is a synonym for successful retailing. Over five decades, the family business has become one of the most successful companies in the country. Up to now, the group has focused on the upscale market – with its own department stores as well as franchises such as Gucci or Hermes. Now, with its new Wellworth department store, the group hopes to conquer the midmarket.
The concept celebrated its premiere at the Fairview Terraces Mall, where the department store now has its own facade. Wooden slats around the circumference make the store's impressive dimensions – nearly 14,000 square metres over four floors – visible from afar. At any given spot, the wooden elements may offer distant or close-up views: Translucent surfaces alternate with opaque ones, punctuated by display windows and entrances. Inside, the slats are carried forward as a multi-story design element in the central atrium. The interior design also provides a unifying theme for the sales areas, despite their huge and colorful assortment. The challenge was to ensure the best orientation throughout all those product worlds and at the same time to do justice to each department's special identity.
The basement is home to the children's department, with its multi-colored decor; above it is the floor for beauty and menswear, done in contrasting black and white. Sports and women's fashion are located on the first floor above ground, and on the next floor up one finds the home department - with everything from décor to furniture to household electronics. Clear lines of orientation were created by so-called boulevards that run the entire length of each floor, functioning as a main axis. This is also where one finds the building's escalators. With their dark tiles and open, dark ceilings, the boulevards stand out from the rest of the floor, which is done in light gray. Decorative floor to ceiling elements, which also serve as product presentation structures, punctuate the boulevard. Sometimes angular, sometimes cube-like, they invite customers to stroll and explore. These are supplemented by semi-transparent, decorative metal elements with glass inserts, reminiscent of 19th century winter gardens. In the home department, the boulevard's dark tiles are varied with antique Spanish mosaic tiles, which lend a homey atmosphere. Pulling it all together is the wooden slat structure, the unifying design element.
Wellworth Department Store is Designed by Germany based firm Blocher Blocher Partners
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