Amsterdam-based practice Ninetynine has unveiled the new store for Dutch bike brand VanMoof in Berlin, Germany. The design concept aims to introduce a new retail model, aligning with the company’s shift towards highly advanced electrical bikes.
“The e-bike is transformational for the urban commute. Where bikes were traditionally considered for the 5km range, the e-bike is suited for the 30km commute,” explains Taco Carlier, co-founder VanMoof. “We engineered this new range with the urban commuter in mind and designed a riding experience that will change urban mobility as we know it.”
After years of successfully selling their smart bikes online, VanMoof decided to shift gears. Their shift towards highly advanced electrical bikes required a new retail model. The solution? A global retail concept based on the idea of a fresh, healthy city, free from (visual) pollution.
In this Dream City concept all VanMoof stores are designed as a natural habitat for the bike. There’s uniformity in material, as the interiors of all the global brand stores were produced in one location before being shipped around the word. Every store has three main functions: showroom, service point and test ride center.
The threshold to enter is low, literally, with the stores feeling like an extension of the street they’re located in. The interior features a function wall and lots of concrete and steel. There are large graphics with skylines and other urban references. Seaters and planters resemble street furniture and park benches, while the bike doctor area lies behind a façade, as if it’s separate shop in a local square. As for the bikes themselves: they’re placed freely in the room, because in the end it’s the product that tells the story.
The store is part of a series of new stores designed by Ninetynine that will be opened in cities around the world.
