Cora Urban

Authors’ Comment

How it changed and how will change the technology the architecture of commercial spaces and our habits to go shopping?
Starting with this question we started the interior design for Cora Urban, a new concept launched in 2021 by Cora Romania. Cora Urban is a “satellite” project, a point in a network, a new proximity convenience store, closer to the people, and it is connected with the online platforme and logistic of the hypermarket – the hub.
Concept. The pandemic showed us how important is the proximity and the concept pf 15 minutes city. Manuel Castells anticipated since ’90 the phenomenon of the Rise of Network Society. The store it is like a point in a extended network, a meeting point between virtual and real space. The concept is developed around the idea of network enabled both by people and technology.
The key words are technology, connectivity, mobility, proximity, sustainability, smart, time, flow. The design concept is simple, with elements from technology and décor that can be easily changed. There are used few materials, shades of blue & grey, wood, geometric light, to obtain a unitary concept, coherency, continuity to be easy for the client to read the space.
The blue color vibrates with the color used in virtual space, social media networks using blue in general. Lighting follows the client’s journey and experiences. The lighting is clear and linear for the most part of the space and the pendants lighting marks the cash desk. The visibility form the street it is important and the façade is transparent.
By using and integrating digital technologies and services, the new Cora Urban stores are like “satelits”, a physical expression of the virtual space in our cities.