Magnetic Field

MAGNETIC FIELD

KALU 2 BAG & SHOES STORE

2025 | Tehran | AtlasMall

KALU 2 is an imaginative and abstract experiment, narrating the aspirations of a brand through the marvelous and the creation of novel and unprecedented experiences for its audience. A newborn presence, cocooned like a chrysalis, it draws visitors into its orbit like a Magnetic field—an endless, pavilion-like continuum without definite boundaries.

Located in Atlas Mall, Niavaran, the project began when the client purchased two adjacent commercial units, each with separate entrances to the mall’s corridors. The design process started by removing the dividing wall and merging the two units into a larger, unified space. Drawing inspiration from the fluid structures of traditional bazaars, the project introduces a new passage between the two main corridors, creating a dialogue with its urban-commercial context while adding mutual value. The strategy was for the project to transcend the conventional idea of a store, instead becoming a connective, pavilion-like joint in the flow of the mall—avoiding rigid boundaries and merging seamlessly with its surroundings.

Rather than maintaining a neutral relationship with circulation, the project engages with the flow of visitors. Through simultaneous shifts in spatial qualities—openness, scale, light, and section—the design generates spatial polarity and a magnetic visual field. This activated current transforms the new artery into a dynamic experience of movement and pause, discovery and attraction.

The high ceiling and flexible anatomy of the store allowed for a two-level organization: the ground floor dedicated to retail and display, and the upper mezzanine for storage and support functions.

For construction, digital fabrication technology using prefabricated GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer) was employed. This ensured precision in design detailing while minimizing disruption to neighboring units. The design was translated into a three-dimensional puzzle, fabricated off-site in workshop conditions, and assembled seamlessly on-site.

Location: Tehran, Niavaran

Client: Yousef Norouzi (KALU Bag & Shoes Group)

Design & Execution: HASHT Architects

Lead Architects: Shahab Ahmadi, Iman Hedayati

Design Team Manager: Shahab Ahmadi

Design Team: Shahab Ahmadi, Iman Hedayati, Ali Ahmadi, Ali Bazzazan, Niloofar Mohammadzadeh, Maedeh Massah, Mahsa Dorchei, Farnaz Agahi, Mona Assadi

Detail Design & Construction Detailing: Ali Ahmadi

Structural Design: Alireza Miri

Technical & Construction Management: Shahab Ahmadi, Iman Hedayati

Workshop Supervisors: Ali Sharifian, Heydar Reza Mirzaei

Production Supervisor: Mohsen Torabi

Fabrication & Production Team: Meysam Kiani, Mohammad Mirzapour, Rahim Faali, Hadi Goodarzi

Lighting & Equipment Consultants: Modular Pro Lighting, Megaplus Lighting

Audio Equipment: Rasam System

Electrical Installations: Mohammad Hassan Mirzaee

Mechanical Installations: Morteza Heidari

Graphics & Presentation: Ali Ahmadi, Mahsa Dorchei, Farnaz Agahi, Niloofar Mohammadzadeh, Mohammad Masoumi

Photography: Mohammad Hassan Ettefagh

Film: Mojtaba Yazdizadeh (Dayereh Studio)

Total Area: 170 m²

Built Area: 85 m²