Existing site conditions informed the architectural approach. Retained concrete floors and a gently curved, west-facing street window establish a direct connection to the urban context. Textured off-white walls and American Oak joinery form a tactile base for the store. As afternoon light moves across the interior, surface textures are subtly revealed, lending depth and softness.
Assembly Label, Adelaide
In Adelaide’s vibrant East End, Assembly Label’s first South Australian store on Rundle Street gives physical form to the brand’s modern, design-conscious customer. Calm and assured, the space reflects quality and restraint.
2023
Adelaide, Kaurna Land
Floor Area
88m²
Minimalist principles underpin the design as a means of clarity rather than aesthetic effect, allowing the space to speak directly to its audience. This approach aligns product, circulation and experience across the store.
The spatial arrangement delineates fashion, homewares and accessories while maintaining a cohesive flow throughout. Curving walls guide movement, allowing each range to be read independently within a unified interior. This structure supports slower engagement, encouraging considered interaction with product rather than visual saturation.
Materiality is pared back to establish hierarchy. Subtle shifts in volume, tone and texture define distinct moments, ensuring the product remains central without fragmenting the overall composition. Linen drapery and sisal floor coverings soften the interior, while textured aluminium elements introduce contrast, anchoring the space within the character of Rundle Street.
Furniture and objects by local makers are integrated throughout, reinforcing a connection to Adelaide’s design community. Positioned at the heart of the store, the J7 Day Bed by designer James Howe serves as a focal element, reflecting shared values of craft, material integrity and longevity.
The Rundle Street store brings together context, material and spatial clarity to form a considered and enduring retail environment. Through restraint, hierarchy and measured contrast, the design balances place and product, offering a calm and confident expression of the brand’s world.
From Australia to New Zealand, our ongoing collaboration with Assembly Label charts a story of growth, with stores realised at Castle Towers (NSW), Birkenhead Point (NSW), Miranda (NSW), and Chermside Park (QLD) within major shopping centres; at Manawa Bay (NZ), part of Auckland Airport’s new retail precinct; and as standalone destinations in Collingwood (VIC) and Cottesloe (WA). Each new setting evolves in response to its context, yet together they embody a shared design language that reflects the brand’s enduring strategy and DNA.
Credits
Photography: Sharyn Cairns
Contractor: Prospace Projects