December 19, 2018

Tacklebox Architecture’s Design for Claus Porto’s NYC Store is Layered with Portuguese References

An 1800’s New York storefront is a fitting home for the first U.S. outpost of Claus Porto, the Portu­guese brand known for its azulejo-inspired soap packaging, that it­self was founded in 1887 in Porto. The 550-square-foot interior by Tacklebox Architecture is domi­nated by a freestanding archway, displaying soaps and fragrances, that’s layered with Portuguese references. Its shape derives from the São Bento train Station, first proposed in 1887. Its diamond patterning mimics the tiled facade of the historic Casa dos Bicos. And it’s milled out of cork, a rapidly renewable, acoustics-enhancing material, much of which is pro­duced in the country. At the center of the shop, a monolithic wash­basin that nods to the ritual of daily cleansing is carved from, of course, Portuguese marble.

For the New York store for Claus Porto, the Portuguese soap and fragrance company, Tacklebox Architecture fashioned a cork display archway that’s 42 feet long. Photography by Eric Petschek.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Claus Porto’s New York store. Photography by Eric Petschek.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Claus Porto’s New York store. Photography by Eric Petschek.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Claus Porto’s exterior. Photography by Eric Petschek.

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