Airport retail designer The Design Solution (TDS) has developed a new destination store for Larnaca Airport, Cyprus.
The Kypriaka concept store is part of a €20m (US$22m) program to develop the commercial spaces at Larnaca Airport. The project reaches across more than 6,700m2 of retail and F&B outlets, and, due to the Covid-19 crisis, took 20 months to complete.
TDS was appointed by airport operator Hermes and retailer Aer Rianta (ARI) to develop the terminal’s commercial planning and passenger flow strategies and design the locally themed store.
Kypriaka will offer specialist foods, wines, spirits and crafted souvenirs of the island. The design of Kypriaka (meaning ‘Cypriot-produced’) aims to express a sense of place through incorporating cultural expressions of its location across the terminal, such as the artwork ‘Volant Migrants’ by Cypriot artist Maria Loizidou at the entrance and the use of Cypriot song ‘Xrysoprasino Fyllo’ (Gold Green Leaf), by composer Mikis Theodorakis, as the design inspiration. The song is adapted from a poem by Leonidas Malenish which celebrates the beauty of Cyprus.
Christos Malecos, lead senior designer at TDS, explained, “To give Kypriaka its unique look and feel, we drew upon some key aspects of Cypriot landscapes and lifestyle and translated them into a design language. The overall color palette takes its cues from the colors of the landscape – green hues of the olive trees, winery vines, and citrus trees, and the golden tones of the sandy shores, hay bales and vibrant leaves in the summer months. This gives a soft, natural feeling, one which will encourage passengers to dwell in the shop.
“We were also inspired by the craftmanship in famous villages such as Lefkara, the delicacy of the white lace, and ruggedness of the white stone clad buildings. The design blends the themes of the island’s best-loved song with one of the most essential elements of the Cypriot lifestyle – the village square – the hub of daily village life.
“Overhead, the giant, sculptural, dual-toned olive leaves provide a dramatic canopy to the store. Stone-effect porcelain tiles of the floor and category wall-bays clad in local stone and timber all reflect indigenous building materials and styles. The traditional crafts of lacemaking and pottery are expressed in the intricate filigree and decorative patterns of the display units, selling souvenirs and sharing the heritage story behind the locally crafted pieces of lace, ceramics and jewellery.
“Vine-woven baskets are another ancient craft of the island and are used for a range of product displays and we blend this traditional focus with a more contemporary edge among the fixtures and displays. From the Troödos mountains we celebrate Commandaria dessert wine and a range of spirits and, of course, no Cypriot larder is without halloumi; having finally attained protected designation of origin (PDO) from the EU just a few weeks ago (October 1), it takes center stage with its own presentation unit, bordered with olive leaves.”
Andrew Baker, general manager of Cyprus Duty Free/CTC ARI, added, “The new Kypriaka design has been a huge success for Cyprus Duty Free, bringing to our retail space that authentic ‘feeling’ of Cyprus in terms of great architecture taken from the history of this beautiful country. The natural raw materials used within the shop are taken from the local landscapes, along with many of the design details, the colors and aromas of the country.”