The Birkenstock Cologne store, including all visual merchandising displays and communication tools, is designed following the same principles as the brands iconic and one-of-a-kind footwear. The same materials were used, but for the store design we also used waste streams: leftover leather and cork were re-purposed into a premium and functional interior, expressing the brutalist form language that characterises the brand.

Innovation:
- Leftover cork granulate, a byproduct from the wine cork industry, was pressed into large blocks and 3D-milled into brutalist, tactile furniture—from stools and tables to XL footbeds in the windows.
- Leather cutting waste was shredded, blended with a bio-based binder, and combed onto curved walls.
- A bespoke lighting system combines small spotlights for both focused and ambient lighting, producing a warm, comforting atmosphere.

Functionality:
- The store layout emphasises spatial ergonomics. Trying-on takes center stage, highlighted by a 5x2.5m mirror and a simplified, unconventional flow.
- Adaptable fixtures like stackable XL footbeds and a flip-wall that turns from display to shelving.
- Each element is purpose-driven—seating, display, etc.—while expressing the brand’s tactile and ergonomic values.

Creativity:
- Only brand-native, mostly waste-derived materials were used to form brutalist yet ergonomic and functional elements.
- “See how it feels”: aluminium footwear moulds inspired display designs that echo Birkenstock’s ergonomic heritage.
- This isn’t a concept store—it's an 80m² space combining strong brand presence with commercial needs: high-end yet inviting, luxurious and sustainable, tactile and interactive.

Eco-Social Impact:
- Recycled and repurposed materials. elements like the recycled leather wall and repurposed cork furniture turn waste into design, reinforcing Birkenstock’s eco- conscious ethos.
- All materials were locally sourced and produced.