Aether Apparel, an online retailer that specializes in design-conscious technical outerwear, chose our PROXY project in Hayes Valley as the site of its first stand-alone store. Aether wanted a striking physical presence with the unconventionality of a pop-up venue. They were drawn to our use of shipping containers to create highly customized modular units that are durable rather than disposable, bold instead of drab.
The three 40-foot shipping containers, stacked and staggered one on top of another, craft a compelling urban edge rising out of the asphalt. The interior space is a surprisingly narrow seven-foot-wide, two-story void, created from the hollowing out of the two lower containers. The second-level glass-encased cantilevered lounge/storefront window juts out over the sidewalk, drawing the gaze of pedestrians.
Large-scale nature photography on the interior walls seems to extend the landscape in every direction. Spanning all three floors, a custom vertical dry-cleaning conveyor belt system provides both front of house display and back of house storage, making Aether's full inventory of performance outdoor wear available at the push of a button.
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