Arch11 Designs Innovative Indoor-Outdoor Retail Architecture Renovation of Boulder Christy Sports Flagship Store

Retail architecture meets infamously outdoorsy Boulder clientele with Denver/Boulder architecture firm Arch11’s recent renovation of Christy Sports’ flagship store. Arch11 updated the iconic Boulder gear store with a skillful reconfiguration of the existing concrete building into a loft-like retail environment with a west-facing mountain view deck for “road testing” summer patio furniture collections. 

Boulder, CO July 15, 2014

In a nod to summer, landmark outdoor gear retailer Christy Sports brings an afternoon-back-deck-with-friends ambiance to its flagship store in Boulder, Colo., courtesy of an architectural renovation by award-winning Denver/Boulder architectural firm Arch11. The fresh retail architecture design by Arch11 incorporates a new west-facing deck that allows customers to test-drive Christy Sports upscale patio furniture.

Crafted with a residential wood surface and mountain views as an open-air showcase for the sports-retailer’s Colorado flagship, the new outdoor space allows customers a firsthand experience of the seats, the sun, the view – everything short of an actual barbecue.

Arch11’s tailored approach to Christy Sports’ offers a refreshing departure from big box retail, including putting the patio displays at center stage for summer, explains Ken Andrews, Arch11 partner and project architect. “At the same time, we selected materials and used them in a way that speaks to the technical qualities of skiing and snowboarding and the hi-tech modern-minded community of Boulder,” he adds, speaking to the seasonal dualism of the store – and outdoor-loving community.

Indeed, Boulder, Colorado, is renowned for its individualism, fostered by famously buff athletes sipping raw juice drinks, their roof-top car carriers packed with mud-caked mountain bikes, skis or snowboards. Specialty retailer Christy Sports, which operates in Colorado and Utah with a focus on ski, snowboard and patio furniture, has been servicing the city’s outdoor-loving population for the past 20 years from its 30th street location in Boulder.

Deciding its Boulder flagship store needed a design energy boost, it contracted Arch11 to transform the existing location to keep pace with Christy Sports customers while enabling more efficient seasonal merchandise transitions – including the experiential patio furniture showcase.

“Our goal for the store was to provide the best of everything that Christy Sports has to offer in terms of product selections and depth,” says Hugh O’Winter, director of Christy Sports Real Estate. “We also wanted to enhance our curb appeal and communicate that we are all about enjoying the outdoors.”

Known for its ability to creatively repurpose buildings, Arch11 skillfully reconfigured the company’s existing bunker-like, two-story, concrete building into a lively, loft-like retail environment. To better accommodate the company’s ski retailing needs as well as summer patio furniture sales, Arch11 envisioned an airy, bright interior with high ceilings that necessitated removing the building’s second floor and inserting a mezzanine and a monumental staircase. The resulting light-filled, double-height spaces are both welcoming to customers and conducive to flexible merchandising. “We needed a very open floor plan to facilitate the duality of our personality,” says O’Winter of the full merchandise change-over that occurs in spring and fall.

To boost the store’s street presence, Arch11 first raised the roof eight feet to create visibility over adjacent buildings and then bumped out the building’s west facade to edge closer to the main thoroughfare. The architects also designed a new glu-lam timber, cedar, and glass storefront to provide a warm, inviting and easily identifiable front door along with enhanced display opportunities for the flagship’s seasonal merchandise.

About Arch11:
 
With offices in Boulder and Denver, Colo., Arch11 has 30 combined years of green building technology leadership. The staff’s unusual level of hands-on experience ranges from boat building to furniture making, contributing to its reputation for commitment to craft, detailing and design integrity. Founded in 1993, Arch11 has gained recognition for projects ranging from exceptional residences to institutional planning, mixed-use development and product design. Recent awards include a 2013 Citation and Merit Award from AIA Denver and a 2013 Citation Award from AIA Colorado North. Arch11 received the Colorado AIA Firm of the Year Award in 2009.

For additional information visit http://www.arch11.com.

Contact:
Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, darla(at)wordenpr(dot)com, 303.777.7667


By press release