A Fresh Vision for Optical Retail: Zware Jongens reveals its new retail space for independent Belgian eyewear specialist Optiek Hons. Light, bright, dynamic, and serene: concept agency Zware Jongens’ design for independent optician Optiek Hons proves that there is still unexplored terrain in the field of optical retail. Through beautiful mirror panelling, clever grid-design, careful materialisation, and a heightened consideration towards the customer’s movement and use of the space—the result presents an all-new vision for how to enhance the experience of visiting the optician. DETAILS: TO SEE AND TO BE SEEN Zware Jongens realised this new experience by creating a sanctuary for the clients of their collaborator—owner and craftsman, Michel Hons. Revealing latent and unexplored potentials of the field’s relation to space and its use throughout the process, the new Optiek Hons store contemplates the questions of how we see ourselves, and how others see us. Concepted from the notion of ‘to see and be seen,’ the space’s clever use of mirrors allows customers to instantly view their eyewear from all angles. Mirrored panels line the length of the store’s right hand side, simultaneously allowing guests to view themselves from multiple POV’s as well as ‘opening up’ the narrow building to invite the outdoors-in, creating an extra open, light, and serene feel in the store. By simply changing the angles of the mirror-panels, one can transform the shop’s ‘vibe’ in an instant. These mirrored doors, running from front to back (a reference to eyesight itself, mimicking how vision narrows to a focal point) house a multitude of secrets and innovations; from a central atelier for Hons’ repairs/adjustments/quality checks, to an office for vision and hearing tests, out-of-sight storage, a periodical ‘in the closet’ miniature feature display (visible through the front window), as well as a cocktail bar for the optician’s renowned special brand of customer care. The facilitation of this reputational level of service is central throughout the design, allowing for both focused attention on each client, as well as the possibility of serving multiple people at once—plus incorporating a warm and welcoming spot to wait or relax. Details such as custom trays simplify the process of navigating the product offering via specialist designs for ‘selection and deselection’—with every aspect of the store considering how to best serve, present, and explore Optiek Hons’ inimitablecuration of eyewear designs. SPACE: DISSOLVE AND REFLECT Glass facades at both the front and back of the space dissolve the barrier between in-and outside, opening out fully to a rear garden as an extension of the store. The brick floor, which extends up the left-hand wall, pays homage to the street that Optiek Hons has called home for the past ten years while the mirrors “suck the outside in, and the inside out” to blur any remaining boundaries to their maximum. Starting from a grid and maintaining its echo throughout, the design realises simplicity, calm, and timelessness whilst making smart use of the available space. From the ever-presence of the garden to the visual harmony humming within the store, all elements have been considered to create a sense of serenity during the shopping, trial, and testing process. Material choices reflect the same ambience via contemporary means; combining green-stained wood, custom tables with metal legs and dark brown leather tops (encased in the same wood as the doorframes), and industrial storage systems—set repetitively and containing pops of coloured felt within the drawers—with Thonet chairs and two chic lines of spot lighting following the eye down the length of the store. The end result is a total transformation of a formerly narrow building into an open, airy, light, bright, and dynamic sanctuary that feels immediately inviting on entry. The aforementioned mirrors double the sense of space of the interior and create a beautiful contrast with the black façade of the store front. Acting like “a big block on top of the shop,” the chic front is punctuated with metal signage (printed in neon white letters, a nod to the industrial details inside) and complimented by the light grey ceiling of the interior.
Hons
Zware Jongens
Silver

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Leni Popovici
Founding Director and Partner
at KAP Studios
Really clever multifunctional mirro...
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7.5

Anne-Rachel Schiffmann
Director of Interior Architecture
at Snøhetta
An innovative and fun play on the s...
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8.5

Gudy Herder
Trend Consultant
at Eclectic Trends
It feels refreshing to see a differ...
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Stefan Weil
CCO
at Atelier Markgraph
Greatness all over. The fact that t...
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7.75

Veronica Givone
Managing Director Hospitality
at IA Interior Architects
A great space for the product and u...
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7.25

Ruud Belmans
Creative Director
at WeWantMore
Yes. All-in. Smart. Detailed....
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Mengjie Liu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
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6.75

Yifan Wu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
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Tina Norden
Partner
at Conran and Partners
Love this - a mannered and beautifu...
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8.5

Sonia Tomic
Senior Associate, Head of Furniture & Materials
at Universal Design Studio
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Justine Fox
Cofounder | Colour Specialist
at Calzada Fox
Beautiful gradation of colour throu...
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Christiaan Fokkema
Partner
at Hollandse Nieuwe
amazing detailing across the board....
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7.25

Omar Abdelghafour
Founder Principal
at Light Space Design
Very cool, innovative, functional a...
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7.75

Liam Doyle
Principal
at Jump Studios
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7.75
Designer
Floor area
130 ㎡
Completion
2021
Designer
Photographer