On, the Swiss running brand headquartered in Zürich, opened its first retail store in Milan, Italy. The roughly 5000-square-foot space on two levels aligns with the company’s expansion strategy, which operates 37 mono-brand stores in North America, Europe, and Asia, including 20 in China.
Studio Bbpr designed the space.
The ground floor, originally open to the public, was converted to have an interior/exterior flow using large windows with restored ceiling beams. The firm retained the building’s original architectural, a style which is found throughout Milan.
“Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a sophisticated location that is perfectly aligned with On’s values. The new store enables us to showcase our collections in a flexible way, addressing the needs of our community by utilizing our modular system,” said Diana Dowling, head of retail design at On.
The ground floor houses new products and On’s running collection. The lower level, formerly an open space with a concrete ceiling, was reconstructed into a square interior space housing fitness training, tennis and lifestyle products, and can act as a community gathering spot. The store also has a running club, which organizes training sessions for local runners.
The store’s dominant feature is a clay floor, which marks the center of the space and acts as a backdrop for the brand’s promoted products.
“The Milan flagship store, our first in Italy, is an exciting milestone for On both in Italy and worldwide,” said Bianca Pestalozzi, general manager of the EMEA at On. “It is a meeting place for locals and international visitors alike, where they will be able to discover our latest innovations and our wide range of products,” she added.
Image courtesy On
