To celebrate the 100th anniversary of its iconic hazelnut wafer, Loacker has commissioned MoDusArchitects with the complete transformation of its flagship store in Heinfels, Austria.

More than just a retail outlet, this space serves as the heart of the brand, acting as a gathering point for the company and its consumers. 

It attracts a significant number of visitors from around the world, especially during the summer months, when it sees more than 3,500 visitors each day.

The ground floor café and store, the pastry shop right above the café, and the design of a new service pavilion with an adjacent outdoor seating area—which is still unfinished—are all part of MoDusArchitects' intervention. 

The outcome is Loacker Galaxy, a new Loacker hallmark universe that honors the company's ancestry while announcing its future goals.

"Loacker Galaxy represents our first foray into the world of retail. Through curated spatial choices, expressive use of materials, and surprising variations in scale, the project condenses Loacker's vast offerings into a recognizable, exciting, and generous place - capturing the awe and wonder of a kid in a candy store," said Sandy Attia and Matteo Scagnol, co-founders of MoDusArchitects.

Large, robust structures and a gleefully mixed tension of material choices give the Loacker flagship shop a new lease on life, allowing the brand's distinctive red to be expressed in a fresh way.

The interiors, which are characterized by the interaction of two main materials—wood and stainless steel—tell the tale of Loacker, a tiny family-run company with roots in South Tyrol that has expanded into a major worldwide industry. 

The crispness of stainless steel reflects the accuracy of Loacker's state-of-the-art production facilities, while the warmth of wood evokes the brand's handcrafted tradition. This material conversation reveals a fundamental duality.

A coffered wood ceiling, an abstraction of the wafer pattern, unifies the several areas of the café and shop on the ground floor and adds a cozy contrast to the chilly gray tones of the existing stone floors. 

The café's sculptural stainless steel counter centerpiece at the entrance greets guests and sets the mood for the huge steel furniture items inside the store.

Ten stainless steel totems act as eye-catching display structures for the stunning assortment of Loacker items in the store, which is designed to be a true "galaxy of flavors." Each totem, a massive 257 × 362 cm grid of shelves, enhances the room's feeling of plenty and choice.

These totems, which are mounted on revolving steel columns 30 cm above the ground, can freely spin, increasing the number of possible spatial arrangements and heightening the sense of plenitude. A pick-and-mix display behind this dynamic "totem forest" creates an eye-catching background. Its vertical sections provide a visually striking display by showcasing the wide variety of candies and their vivid hues.

The wafer creation workshop, located upstairs, offers guests the chance to create their own wafers in a distinctive environment, one that is formed like the iconic "pill" that echoes the outdoor service pavilion and the café counter below. 

An enormous disc-shaped light bulb and a change in elevation give the room a dramatic feel, allowing family members and friends to look down from above and watch the wafer-making process. Glistening stainless-steel tables further contrast with the red tiled floor, which is defined by the black millwork, whether it be railings or cabinetry.

The café outside is connected to the future "Hazelnut Garden" and children's playground by a recently constructed glass vestibule. 

The service pavilion serves as a threshold as part of the outdoor intervention, dividing the parking lot from the outdoor café and providing a sneak peek into the interior's color scheme and whimsical, sculpture-like shapes. 

In addition to revitalizing its reputation, this makeover makes the Loacker flagship shop a genuine landmark for the company.

"Loacker Galaxy" aims to bring the Loacker brand into new and creative realms while preserving its core values. The flagship store becomes a destination for wafer lovers and design enthusiasts due to its impeccable craftsmanship and dynamic interaction of items, colors, and materials.

Site plan

Axonometric drawing

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Section

Section

MoDusArchitects previously completed a new sports facility that makes a bold statement with its 11-metres high lighting tower in Bozen, Italy.

Project facts

Project name: Loacker Galaxy
Location: Panzendorf 196, Heinfels, Austria
Architects: MoDusArchitects (Sandy Attia, Matteo Scagnol)
Project Team: Sandy Attia, Matteo Scagnol, Camilla Cormanni, Leonardo Franzini, Martina Salmaso
Client: Loacker Moccaria International Gmbh
Competition Phase: 2023
Design Development: 2023—2024
Construction Phase: 2024
Opening: Store, café and laboratory: early 2025; pavilion: Summer 2025
Ground floor (store and cafè): 500 sqm
First floor (workshop): 280 sqm
Outdoor pavilion: 120 sqm
Contractor: Bauunternehmung DI Walter Frey GmbH

All images © Marco Cappelletti.

All drawings © MoDusArchitects.

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