Polspotten Store in Amsterdam by S-P-A-C-E

Big and bold, this design store in central Amsterdam invites you into a world of playful discovery. Entering via an oversized triangular entranceway, the new space for Dutch brand Polspotten unfolds like an amusement park for design lovers.

It signifies a fundamental shift in the company’s approach to retail and workplace design, and who better to lead them into a new era than local studio S-P-A-C-E Projects, led by Pepjin Smit, whose work is rooted firmly in experimentation, exploration and above all, fun.

Given full reigns, Pepjin takes material and object clashes to the extreme—from polished concrete and novelty-sized checkerboard tiles, irregular archways and absurdly sized urns to a literal thatched hut that doubles as a meeting room. Reframing the company’s legacy and globally influenced profile for today, the designer took Polspotten’s mission—add play to space— and really ran with it, translating it into a collage of reinterpreted archetypes.

Iconic products are baked into the design, from an acoustic wall featuring ‘hieroglyphs’ of their silhouettes to key shapes stacked into totems. As always, the devil’s in the detail, from a bead curtain stringing together the brand’s famous stool in miniature and a terracotta-hued palette inspired by the brand’s first product, potted or ‘pots’.

S-P-A-C-E reused as much of the existing interior as possible or opted for low-impact new additions—mono materials that are easier to recycle in the future, including abundant natural materials like bamboo and economical lighting. Beyond that, the space also includes a repair station to promote a culture of conscious ownership and consumption, not unlike a Nudie Jeans model but for furniture.

Staying agile, employees work throughout the space, blending in with visitors, while the space’s general fluidity means it can easily host events. Fostering community-building, education and personal relationships with its in-store audience, the team offers workshops and home-styling advice.

Reframing a legacy for today, the new Canal District spot by S-P-A-C-E honours the well-established brand’s history while reflecting critical shifts in the retail and work landscape.