MAO Shop

The existing MAO museum shop is on the ground floor of Fužine Castle’s western part, providing access to exhibition spaces via the outer atrium. However, the shop, ticket office, and design products occupy most of the entrance hall, causing crowding issues during openings and large events, leading visitors to gather in the outer atrium instead.

The idea for the new shop draws from Superstudio’s “Il Monumento Continuo”, which envisioned a single, planetary architecture meant to establish a cosmic order that supports rather than diminishes nature.

Simultaneously, this "single architecture" serves as a "cabinet of curiosities" for valuable design products and publications that deserve thoughtful display.

We designed the museum shop as one continuous, single piece of furniture that organizes sales and exhibition areas. This long structure divides space, defines exhibition paths, marks service zones, and creates a central open area for displays, furniture testing, and social interaction facing the atrium.

The new shop layout must accommodate larger gatherings, round tables, smaller exhibitions, and events, keeping most design products on display without overcrowding. Our challenge was to showcase all products with a single, clear design solution.

The entrance hall becomes an exhibition space for the Museum of Architecture and Design, offering great flexibility with no fixed obstacles.