Co.Design recently featured the oddly genius scheme by the Amsterdam-based firm NL Architects to break apart the lusterless "big box" design standard of the standard supermarket. Their plan? Replacing the boring, customary form with a structure that brags a loping triangular footprint, stepped rooftop gardens, and a slick, glassy aesthetic, in all transforming a mundane structure (sort of like, say, a laundromat or pharmacy) into something rather beautiful. The world's first (and so far only) NL-designed knoll-topped grocery store will arise in—where else?—China, with construction said to wrap in 2014.
The grocery store itself will be sunken below ground—not a bad idea, considering it's not like above-ground varieties have lots of windows or natural light—with a rounded glass lobby area at the entrance. Food drop-offs (below) will also be taken care of below ground, so all the general community sees is the terraced park with planked decking and bistro-style seating.
· Reinventing The Supermarket As A Terraced Retreat [Co.Design]
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