Foot District Barcelona Opening – BLOG

Located in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter, in a building more than a century old, Foot District’s new store takes its customers into an architectural dream, inside what some might call a transcendent space, and on a journey through the past, present, and future. History, geometry, symbolism, and design occupy every inch of the store to present sneakers and streetwear in a new light, reflecting their art form and transforming fashion into a kind of alchemy for the modern world.

In a city so rich with culture and architectural tradition, the new Foot District Barcelona is a destination on the map that you don’t want to miss!

The details of the design:

The inspiration behind the design of the new Foot District Barcelona store harks back to construction workers’ fraternities that emerged in the Middle Ages, specifically, in the meeting places of bricklayers and stonemasons who built the great medieval cathedrals and spread the Gothic style throughout Europe. In addition to building arts, the members of these fraternities were introduced to new, esoteric traditions, such as the Pythagorean theory and alchemy. The symbols that they used to encrypt their language and spread their knowledge are hidden in every area and element of the store.

The cube, an identifying symbol of Foot District, appears throughout the store as the formal recurring theme (as in the Madrid store, as well). In the first room of the store, golden-edged cubes extend through the space of the ceiling and walls and break down into different shelving displays. Grand archways, original to the building, merge with contemporary aesthetics, where golden steel stands out in a pristine white surrounding. The illumination of each shelving unit gives prominence to each product that is displayed and the quality of the materials on which each is exhibited is a constant feature throughout the store.

The central zone is dominated by a large rectangular prism of golden stainless steel, embedded between three archways, and which encompasses all the functional areas of the store. Illustrious materials continue to be ever-present, as the displays in this area are presented on a mechanized methacrylate (acrylic glass) structure, beaming light from within, and that rest on exposed walls that reveal the imprint of time.

At the end of this passageway, the space opens up to the final back area. Filled with natural light that streams in through large arch windows looking out to a back patio area, this area is destined to house the most exclusive product of the store. It unites the origin of the store’s concept and highlights the relationship between the old and the new.

On a Greek marble floor, a large glass cube hosts an exhibition space of one inside of another and contrasts with the environment in which the exposed brick walls, wooden beamed ceilings, and bare arches tell us the history of the building. Raw iron, golden steel, and methacrylate are the foundations for the exhibition and mark the symbolic transition sought by the old alchemists: the search for gold from basic metals and the purity represented by transparency from the coarsest minerals.

The materials used in the construction of the store – glass, methacrylate, iron, steel – as well as the way in which each is displayed, stem from medieval symbolism, contrast the environment, and, in turn, reflect the architectural revolution that occurred and that allowed for the evolution of structure, building, and design over time. The heritage of the past, whose traces are still visible in the neighborhood streets surrounding the store, is combined with breakthrough innovation of the present, as they coexist in a space that shows sneakers and streetwear in a new light, reflecting the art forms that they are, and transforming fashion into a kind of alchemy for the modern world.

The feeling of stepping foot in Foot District Barcelona:

The store can be found on a narrow, calmer, pedestrian-only street called Carrer de la Lleona, which branches out from the famous Plaza Real (Plaça Reial in Catalan), not far from Las Ramblas. The space was renovated to maintain the historical elements and charm of centuries gone by. On the walls to the right and left you can see sneakers resting on individual shelves, as if each one were a piece of art on a pedestal in an art gallery for sneakers. As you walk past the golden rectangular prism’s wall, which contains hidden doors for dressing rooms, it feels as though something magical is pulling you that way and upon entering the back room, you are transformed. There, under the Gothic archways, and before reaching an outdoor patio that fills the store with light, there is a giant glass cube. Within the walls of the glass cube you can see Air Jordan sneakers all around, as if they were suspended in air. Stepping into the glass cube, you find yourself in an experience unlike any other. You can choose a sneaker from the wall and place it on a ledge that contains a footprint with the words “Place Here”. The walls of the glass cube become opaque and… you’ll have to see for yourself what comes next….

Foot District’s new Barcelona store celebrates the artistic and extraordinary nature that sneakers and streetwear bring to the modern world. It combines history, art, geometry, and design and presents them to new generations, generations stepping forward and transforming fashion into a new kind of alchemy for the present and future. Come visit us at Foot District Barcelona, located at Carrer de la Lleona 4 (Barcelona 08002). We’ll see you there.

And in the meantime, check out what we have online here.