Versace

Contrasting materials and sharp, white curves characterize the new Versace store at Westfield Sydney. The project, by Crone Partners in Australia, is the second store designed for Versace by London-based architect Jamie Fobert. The first, in Beijing, is two storeys, so part of the challenge of creating the Sydney store was to make the design work with a smaller footprint. However, being small had its advantages, especially when it came to creating the feeling that the store was carved from a block of white stone. Perspex shopfittings and white curved niches demonstrate an innovative approach to display racks and shelves, but the key feature here is a marble inlay floor that references historic Italian architecture.