The Kape, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In the Fashion Avenue of Dubai Mall, contemporary fashion meets exceptional materiality. For THE KAPE boutique, superfuturedesign* developed a minimalist store concept in which light, restrained colours and carefully selected surfaces create the setting for the fashion brand’s unconventional approach.

THE KAPE reinterprets tradition in a modern way. This approach is also reflected in the approximately 70-square-metre boutique. Grey and earthy tones shape the interior, while the red fitting room creates a deliberate contrast. A smooth resin floor meets expressive, tactile surfaces, creating an interplay of minimalism and distinctive materiality.

A defining element of the boutique is the striking concrete surface in the entrance area. Light-coloured precast concrete elements with an expressive surface texture frame the projecting display window and create a deliberate contrast with the restrained interior design. 

The characteristic concrete surface was created using the RECKLI Formliner 1/316 B Pennsilva. Its distinctive ribbed texture gives the white concrete pronounced sculptural depth.

Arranged diagonally across the surface, the texture creates a changing interplay of light and shadow depending on the angle of incidence and viewpoint. The dynamic concrete surface thus forms a deliberate counterpoint to the store’s minimalist design.

The precast concrete elements were manufactured by Whitecube Industries using snow-white ultra-high-performance concrete. RECKLI supplied the elastic Pennsilva formliners used to transfer the characteristic texture onto the concrete surface.

THE KAPE demonstrates how architectural concrete can become a defining design element in high-end retail and interior design. In the heart of Fashion Avenue at Dubai Mall, the boutique gains a distinctive and recognisable identity through its characteristic textured concrete surface.