Claudio Kaczka of BIRKA Inc didn’t set out to create a niche in architecture that the world’s luxury brands would look to when they open a new lavish boutique in the Americas. He didn’t expect to establish himself among luxury brands looking to catch the eye of rushed travelers catching flights in the newest high-end airport malls. Least of all Claudio Kaczka never imagined that his work in the luxury retail world would have ever landed him as a featured story on CNN Español to 64 million viewers in 24 countries.

Yet, here we are, 600 luxury retail projects later making BIRKA Inc the firm of choice by Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Carolina Herrera, Givenchy, Apple, MAC, Tom Ford and Joe Malone. With such detail-oriented clients and a heavy focus with being “On-Brand”, it is no surprise that they developed the perfect formula to inspire shoppers visually, seduce them into coming in, and evoke a feeling of luxury that gives birth to the ideology of exclusivity they must attain.

There is a plethora of marketing research and analytics that comes into play when opening a successful retail location and it is all incorporated into the design, build out and construction of every project they take on. BIRKA specializes in creating spaces that catch your eye, highlights the newest trends and products that, somehow magically found the perfect lighting just so, you can get that feeling that you just purchased the Holy Grail itself.

For CHANEL Buenos Aires, the project was to be developed specifically in a historic, nationally emblematic building known as “Galerias Pacifico”. This building was first declared a national monument originally for belonging to the railroad system and then again in 1945 by the renovation done to separate the commercial spaces from the offices that, gave way to the current structure to become the new location for Chanel as choose BIRKA to spearhead the project.

This was the perfect moment for BIRKA to create a design and build out CHANEL’s first F&B Boutique in the region. They were selected because of their hands-on knowledge of the exclusive space and the sophistication in design that can seamlessly combine tradition and modernism. They have developed a way to emanate luxury in each of the pieces they built that started from an image born in Paris and is in constant development yet, truly intact with luxury and architecture. The key is in the detail that they focus on how to manipulate the sensations so that the consumer feels as a part of the magic that consecrates CHANEL as one of the most important luxury brands on the planet.
 
This particular project is based on the division of two principal areas, the first will take up most of the floor space for showcasing make-up, skin treatments and exclusive fragrances for both men and women. The second area will be a more private setting recreating the feel of a boudoir or salon that features only the most exclusive lines and facilitates a more one on one shopping experience. 
 

The fabrics that cover the walls, doors, and lamps were handmade by artisans in Denmark and were brought in specially to be part of this project to include the traditional tweed and genre used by Cocó in all its collections. This is done to accentuate warmth and glamor, incorporating the classic palette in black and white, with touches of gold and gray.

The design commemorates the classic compositions of famed artist Piet Mondrian where there is an endless wall full of color, skin treatments and fragrances with an oud bar that exudes the classic French elegance of the brand. All the elements and furnishings were made to order and custom fit by BIRKA directly. All the furniture was specifically conceptualized, designed and built out for this space including the special LED panels that illuminate to 5500 degrees Kelvin to give the perfect light that brings your attention to the true color of the products being featured. The glossy black furnishings have layers of finishing coat that visually give the furniture the deep luster needed to catch your eye. The crystal mirrors are back coated with a special bidirectional stainless steel to surpass the highest quality mirrors in the market. The customized mirrors were made to pivot and transition on stainless steel hinges that take advantage of the carefully placed lighting made to imitate outdoor sunlight for added drama.

“All these carefully selected details are a part of what is required to create the perfect setting for a new luxury boutique and nothing is left to chance. Each piece is studied, drawn, developed and tested to ensure the irrefutable success of each project in its entirety. It is with great pride that we incorporate all this experience and knowledge into every project we take on”. Says Claudio Kaczka Director of BIRKA Inc.

With a steady flow of luxury retail projects coming in, it is no surprise that they have their eyes set on a new niche they are looking to conquer. They are now focusing on renovating residential buildings and lobbies. Their theory is one to enrich the lives of the owners that reside in the buildings they renovate and increase the value of the properties the developers hire them for. They use their experience in the luxury world and bring it into the lobbies and common areas they renovate to create spectacular renovations that dramatically increase the value of the buildings and condos they work on.

In most cases, developers and condo associations are aware of the need to renovate the esthetic and appearance of the common areas of the buildings they manage so that they don’t become outdated and budget for years to be able to do this. Most of the time developers and condo associations lean to the most cost-effective proposals without realizing that it can play a major part in the appreciation of their properties and actually increase the value of the condos in its totality.

This is the new focus of BIRKA and they are bringing in this “wow” factor into buildings you would never expect to see this level of luxury in a renovation for the budgets provided by condo associations. With a largely national reach and capability, we look forward to seeing more and more BIRKA renovations in our cities.