Luxury Chocolate Store for Xocolatti \ De-spec

Design collaboration drives retail experience

Xocolatti is a new premium chocolate brand, opening its first flagship location in New York City’s Soho. With architectural design by De-Spec and branding by Exit Creative Company, Xocolatti is poised to become the new definition of luxury chocolate – “Chocolate reimagined.”

A true collaboration between De-Spec and Exit, the Xocolatti project is the demonstration of creative disciplines merging to engineer a retail space utilizing good design as its epicenter. The intersection of architecture, environmental design and graphic design has informed not only the design and layout of the store, but also the systems and operations of the store itself, as it relates to both the staff and the customer experience.

Render courtesy De-spec

De-Spec’s concept for the 150sf space lies in eliminating the traditional barriers of a storefront and creating a vitrine-like space that seamlessly integrates with the streetscape. Inside, each wall features a custom-designed, floor-to-ceiling bronze shelving system that acts as both storage and display for the iconic green and brown chocolate boxes. The resulting design is bold, graphic and sophisticated.

Render courtesy De-spec

Together, the two firms created the glowing lightboxes featuring each product, inviting customers to explore and interact with the living wall grid. Exit was also responsible for redesigning the Xocolatti identity to a more modern and refined aesthetic, and rolling out all aspects of brand communications, including new packaging, marketing collateral, signage, window graphics, photography, brand language and e-commerce website.

+ Designer: De-spec | http://www.de-spec.com/