Maxi Markt

Supermarket, First Place
JHP Design, London

A new concept for Maxi Markt, this large-scale Austrian market sells groceries, as well as some limited lines of apparel, toys and home goods. The focus is on easy and immediate access to products – for customers stocking up in remote, even hostile regions in central Europe – and creating a feeling of approachability despite the store's vast size. To increase visibility from the nearby mountains, the store's exterior retains the familiar 1970s logo and features a neon “just landed” structure that adds dramatic visual impact.

Once inside the 52,000-square-foot retail shed, designers created a “forced flow” traffic pattern that ensures customers pass by every section before checking out and leaving. In the kids' section, an interactive Lego castle encourages young customers to shop and play; sports and fashion are linked by a ski ramp; and a bistro mimics an apres-ski environment at a Tyrolean resort. Industrial high-bay lamps flood the entire space with light, and a series of zones – events, tastings or promotions – marked by perimeter super graphics give customers a surprise at every turn.

Client: Interspar Group, Salzburg, Austria
Marcus Wild, Marcus Kaiser and Herr Shrenk, management board

Design: JHP Design, London
Steve Collis, strategy director
Raj Wilkinson, creative director
David Rook, associate design director
Heike Brandt, designer
Darren Scott, communications director

General Contractor: Linde Ag, Wiesbaden, Germany

Architect: ATP Architekten und Ingenieure, Innsbruck, Austria

Lighting: Bartenbach Lichtlabor GmbH, Aldrans, Austria

Photography : SLR Photography, London