Sonia Bennett

Platform 39

Bachelor of Design Retail Experience Interior Design Human Centred Design Story-telling Community Social Innovation

The thematically linear facade pulls the common newmarket resident/visitor in through the allure of a “hole in the wall” coffee spot. Prior to entering the space, you may find yourself sitting to await your beverage adjacent to the window, unintentionally interacting with the space as The Observer.

AD24 Award

Outstanding Y3 Project

For excellence in Spatial Design

A Kinetic Retail Experience

Situated in the metaphorical gutter (the slash) between 41/37 Nuffield Street, Platform 39 is a comic retail store that transforms the motion and hatched lines of comics into a tangible experience. Considering visitors’ varied needs, I used time as a metric: some may take 20 minutes to find a book, while others linger longer. The overarching structure, The Inner Link, features five beams responding to these identified demographics: The Socializer, The Shopper, The Reader, and The Observer. Its shape adapts, suggesting both haste and stillness, subconsciously guiding customers to the space of their requirement in the same manner as the interpretative nature of motion lines when reading comics and manga. Platform 39 celebrates the diversity amongst comic store visitors, using linearity as a universal language of time, in the same way that motion lines are indicative of 1 language across the diverse world of comics and manga.

Upon entry, you are posed with the question of who you want to be within the space; A Shopper, a Socialiser, or a Reader?

Adjacent to the facade window and kiosk, The Socialiser platform is the first to be introduced, established as a space of haste, as customers flow in and out for their quick coffee / comic catchups.

Deeper into the store, The Shopper platform fosters a space to get lost in, appealing to those who seek a more extended stay as they search for their perfect comic. Situated as an extension of The Shopper platform, in the deepest section of the store, The Reader isle is fit for those seeking a more static, recluse experience.