A new BELLER jewelry boutique was opened in a historic tenement house in Krakow
The new BELLER boutique is located in a historic tenement house in Plac Szczepański, near the Helena Modrzejewska Old Theater. The interior, designed by renowned architect Zofia Wyganowska, provides a discreet backdrop for beautiful, handcrafted jewelry. The geometric space, based on noble materials, austerity of form, and soft light, makes us feel as if we're immersed in it like Alice in Wonderland. "We believe in a street-level location and the ritual of a daily walk that can turn into something extraordinary, cinematic," says Błażej Baar, the brand's founder.
"For a long time, we'd been thinking about opening a new BELLER boutique, a sister store to the one on Mokotowska Street in Warsaw. Kraków, a city with a rich history and cultural heritage, seemed to us a predestined location," says Błażej Baar, the brand's founder. He adds: "We chose a dream location in Plac Szczepański, near the Helena Modrzejewska Old Theater, in a historic tenement house with beautiful rustication on the facade and a unique barrel vault. It later turned out that the vault perfectly corresponds with the arches of the letter B in our logo. We've always been connected with culture, art, architecture, and design, so this environment seemed ideal to us. We also had a feeling that this is where we would meet our future clients."
The intimate 35 sq m and spectacular height turned their heads. This space brought to mind old-school artisan boutiques one might encounter in Berlin or Copenhagen. "We believe in a street-level location and the ritual of a daily walk that can turn into something extraordinary, cinematic. We are trying to restore a custom very much alive in Poland during the communist era, which huge shopping malls eliminated for many years," adds Patrycja Procner, BELLER brand manager.
Minimalism of composition and austerity of forms
They invited Zofia Wyganowska, the author of the concept for the Warsaw store, to design the new space. They wanted both to form a coherent story, and since they became friends during the first renovation, the process, as always, was creative and pleasant. Zofia, who held the first brainstorming sessions for the interior concept in her ninth month of pregnancy, handed over the finished premises already a mother.
"The BELLER boutique in the capital is white stone, but with a large dose of steel and brass details," describes the architect. "I wanted the one in Kraków to be more minimalist, less decorative. I matured a bit in the meantime, changed, understood that to properly display jewelry, it's better to play with composition, austerity of forms and materials. It doesn't need sophisticated exposition, but rather a subtly nuanced background," adds Zofia Wyganowska.
As with the Warsaw boutique, the existing architectural fabric also became the starting point for this Kraków location. "We focused on the arched shape of the vault and emphasized its beauty – hence the mirror separating the back room. The pane covers the entire wall, masking the doors, which can only be located thanks to a subtle brass handle," explains the architect. Its contour was backlit with LEDs, creating a luminous slit outlining the shape of the ceiling. Thanks to reflections, they managed to create the effect of an optical tunnel, a rabbit hole through which one passes into Wonderland.
Stone, steel, plaster: The discreet charm of the background
All materials used in the boutique are natural. Precisely selected, with an interesting texture or finish, they do not compete with the jewelry, but rather build a harmonious, stylistically minimalist background. On the walls, in place of rusty brick, natural cement-lime plaster in off-white, typical for such tenement houses, was applied. The center of the boutique is organized by two islands made of matte marble - the main one in Calacatta with a golden vein and the reception desk in creamy perlino bianco. Geometric display stands were created from stone remaining after making the larger blocks.
This time, instead of brass, of which only the handle and letters on the mirror are made, Zofia chose graphite steel. Craftsmen made display cases for the walls from it. The individual furniture pieces – a bench and an armchair from 101CPH – are also organic and raw. "Usually, gentlemen sit on them, patiently waiting for their partners," laughs Patrycja Procner.
"Although at first glance it may seem like a very well-behaved project, we play with composition and asymmetry in it," says Zofia Wyganowska. She adds: "The islands are shifted relative to each other, on the walls on one side we have two rows of shelves, and on the other, only one."
The main axis of the space is formed by three-meter lamps custom-designed by Jakub Szkaradek from Lexavali. The fluted crystal glass beautifully emphasizes the proportions of the room. "When one of the fragile fixtures broke during installation, we knew it was almost like breaking precious glasses during a toast and interpreted it as the only possible sign: good luck at the new address," recalls the architect.
The BELLER boutique is located at ul. Szczepańska 9 in Krakow. The project was carried out by Zofia Wyganowska, leading a team composed of Agata Melerska, Magdalena Romanowska, and Weronika Wilkowska.
