HALLO BERLIN WEST!
Already a firm fixture in the beloved Berlin-Mitte shopping district MYKITA is delighted to now join the exciting new concept mall in the city’s west. The Bikini Berlin combines shops, workspaces, cinema, hotel and an urban oasis for the public in one location with oodles of flair.
MYKITA Shop Berlin - West
Completed in the turbulent post-war period of the 1950s, the ensemble of buildings is an architectural icon in the cityscape of West Berlin. The two-tier architecture reminded locals of the daring new swimwear of the day and so it became commonly known as the Bikini-Haus. The name and the vibrant 1950s façade have both been lovingly preserved.
“It’s a little bit like a laboratory, an experiment to have a MYKITA store in a mall,” said MYKITA co-founder and chief executive officer Moritz Krueger at the opening in an interview with WWD. “But my first impression is it works quite well.”
The architecture of the MYKITA Shop follows the characteristic in-house aesthetic, using varied components and contrasting materials in a progressive composition. Here the concept of the readymade merges with specially designed furniture pieces and stage-like lighting. The result is an interior with a simple and clear construction that doesn’t interfere with the original character of the 1950s building.
Overhead, on the expansive and freely accessible 7,000-square-metre roof-terrace of the Bikini-Haus, the notorious Berlin spirit joins the exotic racket of the Zoological Garden. From here – and from the MYKITA Shop – there are direct views of the monkey mountain and other creatures of the Berlin Zoo.
The distinguishing feature of the shop interior is the all-white MYKITA wall. At 31 metres, it is the longest wall thus far and the first freestanding installation with a front and rear display. The backlit furniture piece functions as a visual display area with small sheet metal shelves providing each eyewear model with a kind of stage. Disused airplane trolleys find a new purpose as a storage solution for glasses.
Overhead, on the expansive and freely accessible 7,000-square-metre roof-terrace of the Bikini-Haus, the notorious Berlin spirit joins the exotic racket of the Zoological Garden. From here – and from the MYKITA Shop – there are direct views of the monkey mountain and other creatures of the Berlin Zoo.
Read a full interview with MYKITA CEO & Creative Director Moritz Krueger on the opening of the Bikini-Haus here.
MYKITA SHOP BERLIN WEST
Budapester Strasse 38-50
10787 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 30 28474114