Singing a new song in Cyprus: The designer’s view of destination store Kypriaka

CYPRUS. Airport retail design specialist The Design Solution (TDS) has long been a pioneer in expressing Sense of Place in travel retail environments. With Kypriaka, the vibrant new destination store at Larnaca Airport, developed in partnership with Aer Rianta International and airport operator Hermes, the company took localisation to a new level by using a revered Cypriot song as the design inspiration. In this article we feature the all-important designer’s view of the project.

The Design Solution (TDS) was appointed by Hermes Airports and retailer Aer Rianta International (ARI) to develop the commercial planning and passenger flow strategies for Larnaca International Airport – a €20 million project that recently concluded with the opening of all major spaces. A key element in the design project was to create a locally-themed centrepiece for the new retail offer – the Kypriaka destination store.

The powerful new expression of location shines through in the Kypriaka (meaning ‘Cypriot-produced’) concept store, in which ARI shares speciality foods, wines, spirits and crafted souvenirs of the island.

As a leader in the integration of locational themes and walkthrough stores in airport retail design, TDS developed what it said is a “powerfully, authentic expression of the traditions, culture and spirit of Cyprus” across the airport’s new food and gifting destination store.

From vision to reality: An impression of the striking Kypriaka store (above) and its execution (below). The concept spans multiple categories from food to drinks to crafted souvenirs. 

The core inspiration for the design was an iconic song among Cypriots, ‘Xrysoprasino Fyllo’ (Gold Green Leaf), by composer Mikis Theodorakis – famed for his soundtrack to the film ‘Zorba the Greek’. It was adapted from a poem by Leonidas Malenish celebrating the beauty and spirit of Cyprus. The lyrical celebration of the island’s natural beauty and independent spirit is represented across the retail space.

‘Xrysoprasino Fyllo’

Land of the lemon tree, of the olive tree

Land of the embrace, of the joy

Land of the pine tree, of the cypress tree,

of the young lads, of love

Golden-green leaf thrown in the sea

Christos Malecos, Lead Senior Designer at TDS, explained how the Larnaca project was a personal as well as professional challenge. “As a Cypriot, it was a privilege to work on this innovative store with Hermes, ARI, Cyprus Airports F&B and Cyprus Airports Duty Free and I wanted it to be a great store experience that shared a genuine expression of my homeland. To give Kypriaka its unique look and feel, we drew upon some key aspects of Cypriot landscapes and lifestyle and translated them into a design language.

“The overall colour palette takes its cues from the colours of the landscape: green hues of the olive trees, winery vines, and citrus trees, and the golden tones of the sandy shores, hay bales and vibrant leaves in the summer months. This gives a soft, natural feeling, one which will encourage passengers to dwell in the shop. We were also inspired by the craftmanship in famous villages such as Lefkara, the delicacy of the white lace, and ruggedness of the white stone clad buildings.

“The design blends the themes of the island’s best loved song with one of the most essential elements of the Cypriot lifestyle – the village square – the hub of daily village life. We have classic elements of Cypriot village life expressed across the store.”

He continues: “Overhead, the giant, sculptural, dual-toned olive leaves provide a dramatic canopy to the store. Stone-effect porcelain tiles of the floor and category wall-bays clad in local stone and timber all reflect indigenous building materials and styles. The traditional crafts of lacemaking and pottery are expressed in the intricate filigree and decorative patterns of the display units, selling souvenirs and sharing the heritage story behind the locally-crafted pieces of lace, ceramics and jewellery.

“Vine-woven baskets are another ancient craft of the island and are used for a range of product displays and we blend this traditional focus with a more contemporary edge among the fixtures and displays. From the Troödos mountains we celebrate Commandaria dessert wine and a range of spirits and, of course, no Cypriot larder is without Halloumi; having finally attained protected designation of origin (PDO) from the EU just a few weeks ago (1 October), it takes centre stage with its own presentation unit, bordered with olive leaves.”

Malecos said that TDS was determined to create a design that presents “an authentic, convincing tone that avoids touristic cliches and, crucially, resonates as strongly with Cypriot travellers as well as the island’s vital tourist traffic”.

He adds: “As a Cypriot, I genuinely feel that this store shares a sincere flavour of my homeland and I’m especially looking forward to hearing from family and friends what they think of it when they next travel through Larnaca.”

Andrew Baker, General Manager of Cyprus Duty Free/CTC-ARI, summarised passengers’ first reactions to the new store.

“The new Kypriaka design has been a huge success for Cyprus Duty Free, bringing to our retail space that authentic ‘feeling’ of Cyprus in terms of great architecture taken from the history of this beautiful country,” he said. “The natural raw materials used within the shop are taken from the local landscapes, along with many of the design details, the colours and aromas of the country. Complementing this is a wonderful range of Cypriot products that customers have reacted to so positively.

“The space is comfortable to walk through and the atmosphere is one of a genuine Cypriot Agora or Marketplace which can be found in many of the towns and villages of Cyprus, bringing a true Sense of Place to the retail space.”

The development project, the largest in the airport’s history, reached across more than 6,700sq m of revitalised retail and F&B outlets and, due to the Covid crisis, took 20 months to complete. The project also assimilates cultural and architectural expressions of Cyprus across the terminal, including the eye-catching artwork ‘Volant Migrants’ by Cypriot artist Maria Loizidou, which welcomes passengers at the entrance.

For more on the development, click here.

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