Allen International creates ‘Our House’ Virgin Media flagship concept

The new Our House flagship store aims to create a ‘sense of theatre’ using an ‘immersive sensory experience’, according to Virgin.

Allen International was appointed to the project about three months ago following a four-way creative pitch.

The store is based around the idea of a ‘Media Street’, according to Roy Lowe, senior designer at Allen International.

He says, ‘the concept was about creating a thread to hang a more readable story on for the customers. It looks like part of a street, so it’s a half-constructed house, and when you walk in you see things like the fibre-optics.’

The store features a high-definition digital door at the entrance, with images such as Richard Branson, Mo Farah, Usain Bolt or a T-Rex dinosaur ‘greeting’ customers as they enter.

Allen International worked with screen-installation specialist BF Technology and consultancy Acquire Digital to create a kinetic, gesture-controlled interactive digital wall, allowing customers to browse mobile phones. Traditional tills have been replaced with tablets operated by store staff.

Interior features such as cushions use a Union Jack theme, picking up on the iconography from the recent Virgin Media rebrand by Start Judge Gill, which launched in October last year.

Lowe says, ‘I think it’ll be one of the most high-tech shops in a shopping centre experience.’

It is hoped the concept will later roll out to other Virgin Media stores, though nothing has been confirmed at this stage.