Based in Circus West Village, The Battersea General Store is a core part of this development project to create a thriving and vibrant community. Despite numerous offers by large chain supermarkets to secure a commercial unit the team at Battersea felt that independent retailers with area connections and familiarity was vital to create a community feeling.
The design brief for The Battersea General Store was in no uncertain terms to be authentic, British, locally made and ethically sourced with a nod to the past.
Unlike conventional supermarkets that are filled with aisles and lit with stark lighting, the aim of The Battersea General Store was to have a homelier feel that compliments the vibrant, yet urban community design ethos that was central to the Battersea development plans. The design had to be functional and take on the merits of a convenience store or supermarket. This is where Rapeed Design’s experience of shop fitting came to life.
The vision was to push the boundaries of ‘normal’ local grocery store in terms of design and yet be extremely practical and versatile for the client and customers.
With the iconic Battersea Power Station being the main focus of the redevelopment project its history also needed to be reflected in the design and logo for the store. Quirks in the furniture concept, such as the fruit and vegetable boat aims to bring a little of the past into the design, where historically the fruit ships would have been pulling up on the docks and bringing foods from afar countries.
Every item of furniture, the ceiling, flooring and tiling has been carefully designed and made for this project. The lighting CRI (colour render index) was specifically selected to give a feeling of natural light with areas of the store having different tones and hues. The use of directional track lights allowed us to highlight the areas that required an additional focus.
The pay area is calm and luxurious in its feel where careful design allows for alcoholic drinks and spirits from around the world to be carefully stored. The concealed cigarettes drawers and weighing scales meets the functional requirements but does not compromise the aesthetics.
Using natural materials was vital for this store both internally and externally. The shop front has been hand made in grade A European Oak with recessed accent lighting and crackles glazed tiling. The design marries the best of British with a continental touch.
At any one time there would have been up to 15 different trades on site to bring The Battersea General Store to life.
Being awarded this prestigious contract during the first phase of the one of the most significant redevelopment and regeneration projects in South London was an honour.
