Holzweiler x Ali Gallefoss
Snøhetta in collaboration with artist Ali Gallefoss has designed the first Holzweiler mono-brand store to be located outside of Oslo. Being part of the Holzweiler showroom and retail identity since 2017, the Holzweiler Bergen store is the fourth store collaboration between Snøhetta and the family business and Oslo-based fashion house founded in 2012.
Located in the Art deco inspired 1930’s Kroepelingården building on Strandgaten 18 in Bergen, the design of the Holzweiler Bergen store is inspired by the Norwegian West Coast’s landscape and coastal conditions in order to create a new interface with an organic spatial expression.
Edges peel away from walls to create movement, undulating around the Holzweiler environment. Hanging and display of clothing garments on solid oak milled rails brings an association to traditional handrails and craftsmanship. Clothing rods are woven between a variety of artwork created by artist Ali Gallefoss, blurring the lines between art and functioning display and merchandizing objects. The character of these pieces speaks to the imagination of the artist with curiosity and experimentation of material and scale. In collaborating with Gallefoss, the Holzweiler space evokes a playfulness and sensation of an art gallery blurring the lines of what a retail experience can be.
A significant characteristic of the atmosphere of the space is fashioned by the restoration of the 1930’s herringbone flooring made from boats of the period. It is warm and inviting, bringing the 1930s back to the space. Soft warm toned walls are treated with a natural mineral lime-based plaster adding depth and a timeless expression to the space.
