The Walker Art Center is one of the most visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States. In 2005 the Walker’s Edward Barnes building underwent a $67 million expansion designed by Swiss architects Herzog and De Meuron. Target has always been a huge supporter of the arts in Minnesota and was part of the team responsible for the massive project. After preliminary design for the Walker Shop were reviewed the team asked for our leadership to create a modern yet more customer friendly gift shop experience. Almost every item in the store is considered a piece of art so the design approach needed to feature each in unique yet clean and simple ways. It was also imperative to marry the design with the Herzog and De Meuron aesthetic. The perimeter walls fixtures created patterns out of books while the interior fixtures, platforms, seating and tables were developed to look like long continuous bars that raised up and down depending on the fixtures purpose. The ceiling and floor of the space were the same finished use throughout the expansion.
