Greener vision in store
An eyewear shop, created almost entirely from bio-based or recycled materials, and a living memorial to the Manchester Arena terrorist attack victims have been named the joint winners of a global architecture award.
Retailer MONC’s debut shop in London was designed to reflect the company’s emphasis on sustainability and circularity. The firm creates glasses made from bioplastic, which is produced without fossil fuels and uses recycled leather for its cases. The furniture in its shop is designed to last but can also be easily disassembled so it can be reused or recycled. The shelves are created from cornstarch foam, display stands are made of mycelium – which comes from fungus – and the interior also includes concrete salvaged from nearby roadworks. The design was created by Nina + Co with Smile Plastics and was a joint winner of the Supreme Award in this month’s Surface Design Awards.
The prize was shared with the Glade of Light tribute in Manchester, which was designed by BCA Landscape as a peaceful living memorial to the victims of the May 2017 attack. The judges said Glade of Light was “a special place, which creates a moment and makes you feel safe” while MONC was praised by for “its powerful design with all the wow factor and beauty, yet still retaining a fantastic sustainability focus, something that we could all learn from”.
