Segmentation: A Showroom Design Revolution

Ayhan Güneri's Award-Winning Design for a Footwear Showroom

Ayhan Güneri's 'Segmentation' is a showroom design that was conceptualized in the last quarter of 2012 for a renowned brand in the international footwear industry. The design is a complex of showrooms and a lounge, each space inspired by different styles of shoes. The design's unique properties lie in its use of varied manufacturing methods, technologies, and materials to express the specified styles. The showroom was prepared to meet visitors in Istanbul, Turkey.

The design's inspiration stems from the need for simulation in the daily lives of people who spend their days in offices and meetings and their nights in social activities. The showroom was designed to simulate the environments where the shoes would be used, making the design a unique blend of form and function.

The showroom exhibits shoes manufactured with natural leather and ecological bases. The floor is made from creek stone slices aligned on a net, while the walls are created from sewing panels that imitate buffalo leather and disaggregated bamboo papers. The space is wrapped all around by ovoid form American tickory wooden boards, reflecting the soft lines of the shoes. The second layer ceiling and eight exclusive design lighting components create a mood and make the space feel self-contained.

The design process involved extensive research into the use of classic shoes, the physical condition of the space, product research, and the story of the space. The designs were transferred to conceptual projects and turned into sketches, which were then transferred to CAD as application projects. The realization of the project involved solving a variety of problems, including coordinating manufactures in the construction area and workshops, applying the manufactures within the budget, and completing the showroom and building simultaneously.

The 'Segmentation' design was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2013. The Golden A' Design Award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.