When one of our favourite clients, Lush got in touch for us to create their next project we were eager to get stuck in. Lush wanted to create a wellness pop-up for busy Christmas shoppers to take a moment and relax. This idea was a completely new concept and gave us even more scope for experimentation. The space was to be installed at Westfield White City shopping centre and would aptly be named The Lush Lounge.
The space incorporated a variety of different areas and experiences; all with the idea to encourage relaxation. Lush were keen to push the concept of the brand and everything it stands for, rather than the products. This wasn’t a pop-up shop – it was solely there to help you unwind. The space consisted of a Get Real Gallery, Bathe in Art Pod, a Refresh Station, a Scent Shower and a Poetry Lottery wall. Still a little confused as to what we created? Well, let us unwrap it for you below.
ENTICE THEM IN
To encourage shoppers to take five we needed to make the space inviting. We did this by creating a stretched arch entrance, hand-painted in a soft pink. Two corrugated steel orange pillars sat within this arched structure creating a fun play on materials and texture. We then fitted LED tape to the internal curve of the arch to give a soft welcoming glow. Above the arch sat a custom-built light-up Lush sign as a sort of beacon to who was behind this fabulous space.
To either side of the arch sat two side pods. Both incorporating the arched top, but also included orange mesh inserts complete with 3D CNC cut letters saying, “The Lush Lounge”. As with the entrance arch these also included LED tape to softly light up the side pods.
WE'RE ALL UNIQUE
Everyones ‘me time’ can be vastly different, so the idea of the ‘Keep it Real’ gallery was to showcase the different ways people choose to relax. We created the gallery by vertically mounting three screens onto a custom built curved top unit. The screens were framed by powder–coated, arched topped corrugated steel panels helping carry through the overall design.
TAKE YOUR TIME
As with everything Lush they love to evoke your senses. The Bathe in Art pod was all about creating an environment that made you feel like you were taking a bath. Entirely removing your senses from the reality of where you were. The pod itself was an elongated oval to mimic the wrap around feeling of a bath. Prior to entering the pod, the user would choose a feeling to experience. Once inside you were met with soft pink velvet seating, the lights would dim, and projection would cover the space visually whilst a soundscape filled the area with sound. A feature fabric ceiling manufactured from blue string curtain would then create a ripple effect to symbolise the waves of water. The perfect experience to remove you entirely from the chaos of Christmas shopping.
TIME FOR A RESET
It’s hard to continue to look and feel your best whilst dealing with the stresses Christmas shopping; so Lush had the perfect solution. With the Lush Lounge they added a refresh area where you could choose from a selection of products to get you feeling back to your tip-top self. We designed and built this using curved timber base units at the bottom that included lockable doors to house additional stock. These units were then topped with two lit mirrors surrounded by curved corrugated mesh panels to create wrap around privacy. A perfect space to spruce up amidst the Christmas rush.
WORDS CAN DO WONDERS
Words hold so much power in having the ability to change our mindset. This is why Lush incorporated a Poetry Lottery within the Lounge. A place where words of positivity and strength were written into smalls poems to help revitalise downtrodden shoppers. The space was left simple allowing the words to do the talking. The unit was constructed from a timber frame – incorporating a curved top and lockable storage units within the base. Custom-painted corrugated steel side panels formed ‘wings’ where soft lighting was added giving a warm soft glow. The poetry cards were then simply added onto a ledge shelf allowing guests to access the cards themselves.
SATURATE YOUR SENSES
As usual with any Lush job, there is one part of it that is both bonkers, yet genius! Now we all know Lush are big on scents. Whether you’re die-hard fan or not, we can all sniff out a Lush store on the high-street.
The Scent Shower was designed to be a tranquil space where you could be immersed in a selection of Lush scents all whilst sitting in the centre of a custom-built circular rain-curtain. I know what you’re thinking, another full-on sensory experience – have they gone mad?! But the sound of rain is known to be incredibly relaxing; so, teaming that with a variety of scents would essentially remove you from the fact you are sat in the middle a shopping centre. Adding to that, LED lighting strips were programmed to suit each individual scent, as well as a soundscape to coincide with each mood. As I said, it’s genius!
TEAMWORK
Each person plays an important role during the install of an event. Take a look at how the team work together to turn an empty space into the perfect pop-up!
This job presented us with a number of challenges, but nothing we didn’t have the expertise to work out. First up would have been having to fit so many different concepts and experiences into one space. Thankfully our experience and knowledge in creating customer experiences meant we knew what we needed to consider when designing the space.
Another challenge would have to be bringing everything together with the touch of a button. And by everything we mean soundscapes, water, lighting and in this job even scents. This creative element is something we pride ourselves on here at PDS. Using Creative Technology, we push boundaries and aim to achieve unique experiences for the end user. You can find out more about how Creative Technology can help your next event via the link below.
