The architecture firm External Reference, led by Carmelo Zappulla, has been commissioned to design the first flagship store for the contemporary costume jewellery brand La Manso. The 25 m2 boutique is located in the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample district at 20 Enric Granados Street, just a few meters aaway from the house where Adriana Manso was born, the young founder of the brand that has turned plastic jewellery into pure luxury worldwide.
Project Name:La Manso Flagship Store
Studio Name: External Reference
With unique and iconic designs, La Manso aims to usher in a new era, bringing it closer
to the world of haute couture, relying on the expertise of External Reference for this
stage. The purpose is to build a captivating and immersive brand experience that
invites users to transcend the digital realm and immerse themselves in a physical
space where they can personally contemplate each piece.
Combining the floral elements of the impressive modernist façade with the
contemporary plasticity of the brand’s product, the concept realized by Zappulla and
his team becomes a reinterpretation of classic decorations that highlights the brand’s
values, a contemporary blend of craftsmanship, design and technology.
Through 3D-printed pieces exclusively designed for this space, the store’s interior
becomes an extension of the exterior. Organic forms take center stage, turning the
facade’s ornaments into large rosettes with futuristic glitches and bas-reliefs arranged
at different heights, ranging from 90 cm to 1.70 m.
These elements exhibit La Manso’s jewelry and accessories around a small center
table, carefully illuminated by adjustable mini-spotlights. Using mirrored surfaces, the
space expands, while a neutral and elegant coating establishes an abstract backdrop
for the iconic pieces. As part of the exhibition, the jewelry is illuminated to highlight the
uniqueness of each piece, creating an intimate and deliberate atmosphere that invites
exploration and the discovery of the perfect item.
In addition, the store has a small showcase that, following the wishes of the owner,
recovers the style of the mythical jewellery stores, where who goes for a walk can
observe the objects in total freedom from the street.
The conceptual design extends to the street by repeating, mirroring, and reinterpreting
the brand’s logo, infusing it with the three-dimensional elements present in the interior’s
creative language. In the detail of the sign, strategically placed under the corner bow-window that embraces the surrounding streets with its decorations, a coherent visual
connection is established between the interior space and the urban environment.
External Reference, as in its long history of exploring new 3D printing technologies
applied to design and architecture, has relied on the experience of LaMáquina to
create the custom-made furniture for this project.
The expertise and innovation of External Reference align with the experimentation of
contemporary brands like La Manso in the first flagship store—a new space where
tradition and modernity converge to bring to life unique and memorable experiences.
