Shop Havaianas – Isay Weinfeld

Havaianas, established in 1962, was inspired by the “zori”, a traditional Japanese sandals made of rice straw. A low cost product for several years were just rubber sandals, far from the fashion icon they are today.

Designing a shop in one of the most expensive locations in the city (Rua Oscar Freire in Sao Paulo) to sell products that cost between 6 and 27 real, and nothing else-was, in a moment, the next exciting and entertaining of this work.

Our biggest challenge was to incorporate the architectural climate that inspired this brand: freshness, chance, comfort, ease, comfort, Brazil.

The store has a very informal atmosphere and the result is almost a square – an area totally open to the street, almost as an extension of the sidewalk, without doors or windows with abundant natural light green and only covered by a metal grid alternating glass and wood enclosures, and openings for ventilation and irrigation.

The building is on descending levels. At street level, only a small sitting area, a mezzanine looking over the entire store, the store itself, one level below, occupies a large double-height space, defined by separate elements: a stand of Fair recalls the origin of the sandals were sold in the markets of the city, a sample container models “export”, which have not been seen in Brazil, a transparent cylinder shows the “new” products (bags, socks, towels, etc.), and a cube-art tells the story of Havaianas. Amid all this, a low floor for personalization services and product line for children. In the back of the store, at a semi high, there is a small garden for the exclusive use of those working in the store, the lower level houses offices and warehouses.