The Copper Ribbon creates space within folds where shoppers can escape the busy, transient environment of Westfield London and take a moment to hideaway and have a Vitamin Drip.
Client : Get A Drip
Location : Westfield, London
Building use : Retail, Wellness
Value : £100K
Status : Complete
The Ribbon challenges the conventional perception of an IV Drip clinic, wrapping itself around the nurses central preparation area to create a theatrical focus. The outer skin creates a warm and intriguing object which appears to move as light bounces off the voluptuous crinkles of the copper. The inside surface contrasts the hard outer with a soft leather interior which provides a cosy place to nestle away from the busy crowds.
The Copper Ribbon is a kiosk in the centre of Westfield London for Get A Drip, the UK’s first High Street Vitamin Drip clinic with the aim to make Optimum Nutrition accessible and affordable to all. IV Drips rebalance the body’s natural vitamin levels helping to cleanse it of toxins, boost the immune system, replenish energy levels and optimise day-to-day wellbeing.
Intravenous technology stems from studies on cholera in the 1830s, further developed in the 1930s and widely available in the 1950s. This long history of use within the medical field has led to IV treatment being closely associated to medical procedure and perceived as being a very clinical process. The aim of the kiosk is to challenge this conventional perception of ‘getting a drip’ and promote it as a social interactive experience. With an estimated 74,000 people passing through Westfield London each day the kiosk has the task of attracting the busy shoppers within this hectic environment and to provide a moment in which to relax whilst taking on the health and wellbeing benefits of this immersive new treatment.
The kiosk is formed by a continuous Copper Ribbon that sweeps organically to provide enclosed cocoon like spaces within folds for customers to sit while having a Vitamin Drip, an intimate space away from the busy shopping centre. The folds are also utilised to provide storage spaces for customers belongings and the products required to produce the IV Drips.
The contrasting materials of the ribbon provides different experiences for the customer; the use of copper provides a warm and intriguing outer surface to the ribbon whilst the soft leather interior provides that cosy place to nestle away.
Copper has an inherent warmth and rich materiality that challenges the clinical perception of having a Vitamin Drip. The unique handcrafted process of beating sheets of copper and their application to the curved form of the ribbon results in organic creases and crinkles, which provide the passerby with a constantly changing object which reflects light while walking past. The shimmering copper makes every encounter unique, and ensures the kiosk grabs the attention of busy shoppers moving from store to store.
The soft internal cobalt blue leather contrasts the outer copper and provides an unexpected moment when stepping inside of the kiosk, creating the sense of being enveloped within the natural oxidisation of copper. The softness allows the customer to interact with the interior of the ribbon, providing places to sit comfortably within individual cocoons.