The new ORSKA boutique - a space of design and nature
ORSKA, the artistic jewellery brand known for its bold design, craftsmanship and love of the World, has opened a new boutique at Silesia City Center in Katowice. The boutique's design, developed by architectural studio mode:lina™, heralds the brand's new design direction and redefines the way artistic jewellery is presented.
‘We started the design of the new ORSKA boutique arrangement by talking to Anna Orska, who told us about her biggest inspiration - the inspiration of nature. I immediately picked up on this theme, feeling that it would be a very interesting process where we would explore unusual, natural materials.’ - says Jerzy Wozniak, co-founder of mode:lina™.
This inspiration is felt from the first moments in the boutique. The space transports customers to a world of raw forms, organic structures and inspirations taken directly from the Earth's interior. One has the impression of stepping inside a heavenly cave dominated by uncut rocks, jewellery metals and geometric stalactites and stalagmites. The boutique - just like ORSKA jewellery - provokes exploration and tactility.
‘I am delighted that the interior design, which mode:lina and I worked on for nearly two years, reflects ORSKA's philosophy and values. We spent a lot of time talking about sunrises and sunsets, about my love for water and nature, about stones mined from the depths of caves, created over millions of years in the depths of the Earth. As a result, the boutique is a space combining design and nature, just as I dreamed it would be,’ concludes Anna Orska, jewellery designer and creator of ORSKA.
The focal point of the boutique is a display table with an open structure and a series of drawers that encourage people to open and try on jewellery. The drawer fronts are irregular, giving the impression of being unclosed and provoking a peek inside. This well-known and much-loved system from previous ORSKA boutiques has been refreshed - subtle backlighting has been added to expose the contents and encourage exploration. The table has been made of raw, unprotected copper, which each customer will be able to imprint on. This is a tribute to craftsmanship and the creative process - like a living organism, the material ‘breathes’ and changes over time, much like jewellery that matures with its owner. In addition, a copper installation with hidden lighting and stalactites, which also serve as hangers for necklaces, hangs above the table.
Designed by the Orska team, the display system was printed in 3D printing technology using biodegradable PLA filament by Filip Majewski. The displays - in creamy white on the furniture and black on the table - inspired by stalactites and stalagmites, have a porous, organic structure that allows different ways of attaching jewellery. Natural onyxes are set between them, emphasising the inspiration of the Earth's raw materials. The whole piece is mobile and multiplexed, making it not only easily adaptable to the brand's needs, but also creating sculptural compositions.
The furniture and display cabinets are inspired by rock formations, with a geometric, faceted design reminiscent of the low polygon aesthetic. The plastered MDF used for the design elements is reminiscent of white battered cellular concrete blocks. The handles are decorated with raw nuggets of copper - a material that mode:lina™ decided to transfer to the boutique directly from Orska's jewellery workshop. The unique, organic shapes contrast with the precisely designed interior. Placed disorderly, they give the impression of being deployed by an incalculable natural element. Each is different, unique - together they look like contemporary sculptures created by Mother Earth herself. A plastered low poly blend with lighting and necklace hangers is placed above the display cases. The backdrop to the exhibition is mirrors in a deep navy blue gradient, interspersed with screens showing footage of Anna Orska's travels in search of new materials and crafts.
Above the entire boutique, like the sun or the moon, towers the brand's distinctive circular logo made of raw black steel. A large round mirror with a gradient referring to oceanic depths, sunrises and sunsets is also an important element of the interior. The entire arrangement is emphasised by carefully selected lighting, both in the individual pieces of furniture and throughout the boutique.
ORSKA creates jewelry with character, her designs are expressive and often controversial. The severity of the forms, the roughness of the textures and the different ideas behind each collection reflect the temperament of the brand. ORSKA jewelry is not an accessory. It is a fashion statement that creates an entire outfit. ORSKA designs for bold people, looking for an original form of style. Each piece has an individual character. This is due to handmade workmanship and reaching for unusual, often unique materials. Components come from all over the world and from different eras, just like the concept of the collection itself. ORSKA is unruly, diverse and unpredictable. She is not afraid of experimentation. She is constantly searching. One thing that remains constant about her.
mode:lina™ is a team of talented young Polish designers who share the same approach to architecture as a tool for the constant exploration of new forms and functions, design thinking fuelled by going beyond the beaten track, inspired by contradictions and contrasts, and finally designing spaces of experience that simply make people's lives better. It is part of the team's working logic to be proactive in driving projects, to be independent in finding solutions and to have genuine fun in their work.
