Darial Concept Store in Barcelona by Djaba Diassamidze

Paris-based Haute couturier Djaba Diassamidze has a new lifestyle concept store, Darial, in Barcelona’s Eixample neighbourhood. The 1,500sqm interior is set across the ground floor and basement of 19th-century building Casa Tomàs Roger, encompassing retail space for a revolving collection of clothing, books, art, furniture and design from a host of brands, a brasserie-style restaurant and an events area.

The palatial interior encompasses stark and monochrome surfaces embellished with ornate features. Various areas flow into one another, with guests able to move easily from one space to the next. Tall ceilings and bright white walls are evocative of a gallery, with Diassamidze’s curated selection of wares carefully displayed. Ivory carpets and marble tiles contrast black lacquer fixtures and furnishings from the likes of Muller van Severen, Impossible Project, Lomography and Bang & Olufsen. Pointed black folding screens refer to the store’s name – Darial, meaning gate in old Persian.

Palm tree-shaped gold columns are dotted throughout the experiential store, their fronds splayed across the ceiling; such details make the minimalist retail area feel maximal in terms of personality and vision. Art deco references include grand arched openings, while the brasserie restaurant features specific references to 1963 film The Leopard, with a brushed gold leaf ceiling and refurbished 19th-century red velvet banquets. Original furniture includes pieces by Pierre Chareau and Serge Roche.

A carpet-lined crips black staircase leads to a gallery on the lower ground floor, with floor to ceiling concrete walls. The cloister-like interior looks out onto a courtyard, its vaulted openings used to house a rotating offering of temporary exhibitions and collaborations with various contemporary artists. Including a dedicated gallery space below, the retail and food offering enhances the multifaceted nature of the store and plays to Barcelona’s love of art and design-focused retail.

See other concept store interiors on Yellowtrace here.