Cris Barros Iguatemi Store

Carolina Maluhy + Partners

Short description

Cris Barros Iguatemi is a retail clothing store designed to merge sustainable innovation with Brazilian artisanal excellence.
Inspired by the sensual contours of Brazilian modernist gardens, the store’s spatial language is marked by sweeping curves and natural textures. A key element is the use of hand-crafted ceramic tiles made from recycled clay mixed with fragments of discarded fluorescent light bulbs. These tiles, fired in a kiln and finished with a traditional lime wash, line the interior walls, turning waste into a tactile and visually rich material. This process exemplifies the project's ethos of transforming environmental responsibility into refined design.
The client's brief was to create a retail space that reflects the brand’s deep commitment to sustainability and artisanal authenticity. The result is an environment where craftsmanship and innovation intersect. The furniture, including display totems and seating, is made from reclaimed wood and roots salvaged from urban areas. Fitting rooms were clad with demolition wood, preserving the raw materiality and enhancing the organic, tactile nature of the design.
One of the most technically demanding aspects of the project was the execution of the curved walls. These continuous, sculptural surfaces required both 3D digital modelling and traditional handcraft. Advanced fabrication technologies such as CNC milling and laser cutting were used to achieve structural precision while maintaining the softness and fluidity of form. These curves extend into custom rugs and garment racks, reinforcing the sense of cohesion throughout the space.
The store’s façade, fitted with retractable glass doors, dissolves the boundaries between interior and exterior. Even when closed, the transparency preserves a visual connection, inviting visitors into a calm and luminous atmosphere. Light filters through the space, softened by rustic linen curtains and punctuated by tropical plants and ceramic sculptures. These details enhance a contemplative ambiance while offering moments of pause within the commercial environment.
The design also promotes Brazilian artistic identity by integrating handcrafted elements, local techniques, and a distinct tropical aesthetic. In resisting foreign trends and industrial uniformity, the store affirms the value of Brazilian creativity and sustainability, serving to engage customers with deeper values of locality, environmental care, and artisanal respect.
Sustainability is embedded not only in the aesthetic choices but also in the supply chain. All suppliers were selected for their commitment to responsible practices. The use of demolition wood and reclaimed materials minimized the extraction of new resources and maximized material reuse. Tiles made from industrial waste highlight how innovation can emerge from limitations, turning discarded items into durable, expressive design features.
By fusing digital precision with manual techniques, the project achieves a balance between modernity and tradition. It demonstrates that sustainable architecture can be expressive, high-performing, and culturally specific. Design can serve not only function and beauty, but also broader ecological and social commitments, as well as contribute to a vision of Brazilian architecture that is inclusive, enduring, and deeply rooted in place.