Furanxo
Working on projects ranging at different scales, Flatwig Studio (Erica Agogliati + Francesca Avian) has recently shaped the space and identity of Furanxo, a new Spanish shop and aperitif place owned by Manuel los Santos and chef Xabier Valdes from Trangallan.
The space, located in Dalston, London, takes inspiration from the traditional Spanish butchers to reinterpret its classic features with a London accent.
Furanxo is a shop during the day and transforms itself in a bar during the evening, featuring a selection of cheese, charcuterie and tinned fish, all products that the customers can order directly from the shelves of the shop to be prepared as small tapas while sipping a glass of natural wine. Since the space had to be designed as a flexible environment, able to change its setting at different times of the day, the designers took advantage of the long and narrow plan to lay down the furniture laterally, in order to create a free flowing space that connects the entrance to the back of the shop. At the heart of the concept lies a domestic dimension emphasized by the clients’ request to have ‘no spatial division’ in between customer and working area. As a result, working areas are spontaneously occupied by customers, a condition that emphasizes the hybridization of the spaces. Display areas are designed to change their function from day to night to become seats or top counters when needed.
A peculiar element of the space is a tiled bench that geometrically extends from the wall to the centre, becoming an area of chatting and tasting.
The designers decided to use traditional materials such as Carrara marble and white tiles of different dimensions to recall the informal atmosphere of the Spanish butchers. At the same time they combined those materials with more industrial and cold materials, such as the metal grid that connects the two floors and blends with the mdf-coloured, tailor-made counter.
Wooden shelves supported by light grey metal pipes that coordinate with the metal grid and the handrail are used as a display for food and wine.
The metal grid at the back creates a visual background that connects the ground floor with a basement that will host a yet-to-be-designed urban canteen to preserve foods and conserve wines.
