{"id":474919,"date":"2026-02-12T10:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/474919\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:51:11","slug":"el-departamento-designs-covent-garden-hoff-store-with-bright-tiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/474919\/","title":{"rendered":"El Departamento designs Covent Garden Hoff store with bright tiles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interiors studio El Departamento<\/a> has designed the Covent Garden<\/a> flagship store for Spanish trainer brand Hoff, which features handmade zellige ceramics and sculptural furniture.<\/p>\n

The 163-square-metre London store was designed as an evolution of the Hoff<\/a> flagship in Madrid, rather than a replica.<\/p>\n

\"WoodenWood panels decorate part of the store<\/p>\n

El Departamento<\/a>, which is led by Alberto Eltini and Marina Mart\u00edn, chose to work with warm materials such as wood and zellige to reflect the brand’s approachability.<\/p>\n

“We counterbalanced this with technical, industrial materials \u2013 such as stainless steel and metal grating \u2013 to introduce a sophisticated, contemporary edge,” Eltini told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

\"YellowYellow zellige tiles were used for display cases and desks<\/p>\n

The studio used handmade zellige tiles in a warm butter-yellow colour to decorate a central display case and shelving.<\/p>\n

“The palette is built on a neutral, serene base of sand and beige tones \u2013 seen in the stone and terrazzo \u2013 to provide a natural backdrop,” Mart\u00edn told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“Against this, we introduced singular colour accents to build identity and dynamise the customer journey.”<\/p>\n

\"Stainless-steelThe ceiling has a contrasting stainless-steel grid<\/p>\n

As well as the tiles, El Departamento used stainless steel and industrial metal grating for the store’s upper planes and for the technical ceiling.<\/p>\n

“This introduces a current, industrial language that connects with London’s specific urban character,” Eltini said.<\/p>\n

It also added a gridded floor to the Hoff flagship to create a dialogue with the ceiling symmetry.<\/p>\n

\"ExteriorPhoebe Collings-James designed a blue-and-glass table for Hoff<\/p>\n

While the floor and wall surfaces have clean, geometric lines, the store also features playful, sculptural furniture, including a glass table with bulbous blue shapes made in collaboration with artist Phoebe Collings-James<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We were drawn to her practice for its organic, imperfect forms and the specific ‘memory’ she imprints on her pieces,” Mart\u00edn said.<\/p>\n

“In this store, her sculpture is reinterpreted as a product display, effectively blending the retail experience with fine art,” the studio added. “The piece breaks the orthogonal rigidity of the space, adding a unique, expressive layer that contrasts with the store’s technical grid.”<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"PJ<\/p>\n

El Departamento designs Barcelona eyewear store as a “challenging visual exercise”\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The exterior of the Hoff store, located in London’s busy Covent Garden area, has tiles in a slightly darker hue that give the facade a welcoming feel and make it stand out against its neighbours.<\/p>\n

“We used mustard yellow and deep blue specifically to inject warmth into the London context, which is often characterised by colder, greyer tones,” Eltini explained.<\/p>\n

“The mustard zellige also serves an architectural function, projecting towards the facade to visually connect the interior atmosphere with the street.”<\/p>\n

\"WoodenIt was designed as a background to showcase Hoff’s trainers<\/p>\n

Overall, the designers aimed for the Hoff flagship store to be a neutral background that would help to enhance the product display.<\/p>\n

“The envelope acts as a neutral, gallery-like space where textures and colours are perceived almost sculpturally,” Mart\u00edn explained. “By using bold volumes and architectural gestures, the design steps back to let the product take centre stage.”<\/p>\n

El Departamento has previously designed a Barcelona eyewear store in a pale seafoam green<\/a>. Also in Covent Garden, interior studio North End Design created a colourful interior for the restaurant Town<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The photography is courtesy of Hoff.<\/p>\n