Store Fora Clérigos

Located on the iconic Rua dos Clérigos in Porto, the new Fora Sunglasses store occupies a small linear space with a single shopfront that, despite sharing similar dimensions with many others along the street, distinguishes itself through its blue-painted color. The program is organized into three areas: service, display and lounge.
The main challenge of the project was to design a display element capable of responding to two defining conditions of the pre-existing space. The first relates to its longitudinal configuration, similar to a spacious corridor. The second arises from an angled recess created by the staircase leading to the upper floors of the building.
The solution was to develop a continuous display running along one of the walls. The apparent sculptural neutrality of this linear element shifts as it engages with the uneven ceiling, rising and rotating to form a canopy aligned with the recess and introducing a new formal dynamic into the space.
The scarcity of natural light, which only enters through the two ends of the store, played a decisive role in the material expression of the display. Constructed from opaline acrylic panels illuminated by led strips and interspersed with long linear shelves in white‑lacquered steel, the object adopts artificial light as its primary material.
As complementary areas, a service counter was positioned facing Rua dos Clérigos, while at the opposite end, beside a sill‑height window on the rear façade, a small lounge area was created. Both are articulated through this illuminated linear element, which structures the space and showcases the various models of this Portuguese eyewear brand.

Oporto - Portugal
2020

Photography: Garcês