bassam el okeily + karla menten: i care for you

‘i care for you’ by bassam el okeily + karla menten architecture images courtesy of bassam el okeily + karla menten architecture

brussels-based studios, bassam el okeily and karla menten architecture have collaborated to create ‘i care for you’, an eyewear shop and art gallery for the blind. composed of a series of suspended angular volumes, the space features two contrasting environments – one for the sale of eyeglasses and one for the objets d’art for the blind.

braille created from small domes of light cover the surfaces of each volume

the art gallery fills the open space and becomes the predominant focus, while several forms containing hundreds of simply displayed glasses surround it. small light-emitting domes cover the surfaces of each skewed cube, writing the alphabet for the blind, establishing a dialogue between the two types of customers.

overall view of store

product exposure becomes secondary – highlighting instead the works made from braille – hidden inside the masses, creating a personal and isolated atmosphere. levels of light and color further define the two environments, separating warm and encompassing with bright and sterile.

suspended volumes define the two environments