Pax & Parker is a new boutique fashion retailer. This is their first store located in Fort Worth, Texas; designed and decorated by Bart Shaw Architect.

The design approach to the 1,340 SF space was to keep the majority of space minimal and focus on one signature element that influences the entire area. The existing concrete shell structure was left exposed. The concrete slab was sealed. The fixtures were designed for space and fabricated by a local community college welding instructor. The general lighting in the retail space was created by mounting fluorescent strips mounted to the top of a bent steel plate, painted white. Birch plywood of varying thicknesses was cut into 8-inch squares and added to portions of the walls near the entry. White wire hangers were made into modules by the designers office. These were attached to steel cables to create the screen between the dressing and retail areas.

The space is dominated by this veil of 1,800 white wire hangers. The wall is formed by 150 modules made up of 12 hangers in the same configuration. The interlocking of this base unit forms a lace-like appearance, that glimmers in the light. Within the regulated formation of the wall, one can find a sense of whimsy. These are objects we interact with everyday. They rattle around in the bottom of our closets, and we are reintroduced to them, experiencing them in an entirely different way. Photography by Dror Baldinger, AIA