Thursday, February 3, 2011

BEST Products had some of the best architecture

Big box companies don't need to have dull architecture, but unfortunately, the likes of The Warehouse tend to forget that.

One US company new this very well though, BEST Products in the states, who in the 70s commissioned SITE (Sculpture In The Environment) to build interesting stores. My favourite is the Forest Showroom in Richmond, Virginia:

Best Products - Forest Showroom - Richmond, Virginia (Built 1980)

Best Products - Forest Showroom - Model

Best Products - Forest Showroom - Richmond, Virginia 2010

Best Products - Forest Showroom - Richmond, Virginia 2010

I really appriciate the mature trees within the confines of the store itself, it's something I'd like to build into a house one of these days. Of course, the above wasn't the only interesting store that SITE built for BEST. Here are a few more:


Peeling Project - Richmond VA (Built 1971)

Indeterminate Facade Building - Houston Texas (Built 1974)
Notch Showroom - Sacramento California (Built 1977)
Tilt Showroom - Towson Maryland (Built 1978)
Rainforest Showroom - Hialeah Florida (Built 1979)
Inside Outside Building - Milwaukee Wisconsin (Built 1984)

If only big-box retailers these days could take some insipiration and build better buildings.

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