05.04.2022
In 2021, 237 department stores across the UK were identified as vacant. In response to this, Jestico + Whiles architects Oscar, Carlos and Rhys have been researching alternative uses for the high street's much loved department store.
Department stores have never been just about selling. When the American businessman Mr Selfridge arrived in London 112 years ago, he understood that shopping must be experiential not simply transactional. He elevated shopping into a social activity, transforming department stores into cultural landmarks.
We propose the reappropriation of the Department Store as centres of learning, protecting and reviving these iconic typologies, and restoring a sense of place for the declining high street. We propose to re-establish the social loci provided by department stores, while accepting that physical shopping will no longer provide the medium for this. In parallel with the growth of online retail, we have seen the growth in online learning. Department stores – ‘palaces of consumption’ – will become ‘palaces of learning’.
The department store of the future will – as they always have done – cross-sell, up-sell and cross-market. However, the commodity will be knowledge and not goods. By bringing back joy, delight, discovery and surprise, the beating hearts on our high streets will be restarted.
To see our full proposal, click here.