In times of online commerce, shop owners are trying to offer more to make the in-store buying experience attractive to customers.Overkill Cologne has perfected this premise: sneaker store, exclusive boutique, art gallery.Overkill has it all.On 145 m2, the shop shows its love for streetwear with an article presentation that resembles an art exhibition.In addition to Italian marble and fine art, light is the essential component of an expressive interior concept.With wallwashing and precise accentuation, wirelessly controllable ERCO spotlights beautifully showcase streetwear and art.The store opened its doors in the autumn of 2021 on the lively Oude Markt in the old town of Cologne.Overkill hails from Berlin, its two Kreuzberger main branches – one extra for women and children – are well-known meeting places for sneaker fans.It's about more than just athletic shoes, though: Overkill embodies the urban lifestyle, hosts events and exclusive sneaker releases, and carries a large selection of graffiti essentials.Fans of comfortable trendy shoes and lovers of street art – both target groups should feel addressed.That also reflects the concept of Overkill Cologne.It's about exclusivity.Starting with the sneakers themselves, thought out down to the smallest detail of the design concept: wall elements, floor and a massive sales counter are made of Carrara marble (Statuario Venato).The striking white stone with gray flames was imported block-by-block from Italy and processed by a Berlin stonemason.At the time, the Italian sculptor Michelangelo already chose the exclusive marble from the Carrara quarry for his work.For the visitor, the shopping experience has the effect of a visit to an art exhibition.In the entrance is a white marble rock, also by Statuario Venato.Canvases by the Berlin artist “Stohead” are currently hanging on the walls.It seems as if you are entering a gallery in the white cube look.And in fact, neither the lighting nor the interior concept makes a distinction between art exhibition or article presentation.The sneaker becomes a work of art and is presented as such.A homemade sneaker chandelier hangs from the ceiling, handmade glass Adidas shoe models make an impressive light installation.In the rear area of ​​the shop, visitors have truly arrived in sneaker heaven: just like in a sacred space, there is a bright blue ceiling painting with a sky effect.The lighting concept is based on high visual comfort and homogeneous wallwashing.Optec spotlights from ERCO make everything possible: Lens wallwashers (38W LED) illuminate the sneaker walls impressively and evenly.An elegant article presentation is achieved with the uniform illumination of the vertical surfaces, and the room thus appears spacious at the same time.Spots with 6° narrow spot light distribution accentuate highlights.The light is museum quality.This includes the perfect reproduction of the colors (CRI>92) and the material texture of the shoes as well as the marble.Thanks to precise optical systems that only direct the light where it is used, partially LED modules with 4W are sufficient for short and powerful accents.Optec spots with wide flood light distribution (approx. 50°) were used at the checkout.Here, the flat lighting of the sales counter and the faces of clientele and sales team is in the foreground.The wireless light control with Casambi Bluetooth allows individual setting of different light scenes.While the shop is brightly lit during the day, at night the accent can be shifted to the marble blocks and the shop window presentation.Light scenes can also be individually programmed for events via smartphone or tablet.Even when dimmed, the light is flicker-free, ideal for shooting with the smartphone camera.The luminaire layout can also be flexibly adapted to new shop concepts: Optec spotlights have a luminaire head that can be swiveled by 270°, which can be precisely aligned to the items.In addition, the luminaires can be moved effortlessly in the track without tools.Would you like to be immediately informed of the latest architectural news?The Architectura newsletter offers a fascinating mix of current events, project descriptions, opinion pieces, product innovations, info about events, but videos, podcasts and so much more.Sign up now and receive our weekly newsletters in your mailbox.Would you like to be immediately informed of the latest architectural news?The Architectura newsletter offers a fascinating mix of current events, project descriptions, opinion pieces, product innovations, info about events, but videos, podcasts and so much more.Sign up now and receive our weekly newsletters in your mailbox.Lazarijstraat 168 3500 Hasselt info@architectura.be