Our clients, Frits and Thomans van den Bosch, including the well-known Wommelgem optician Frits Van Den Bosch, have won an award at MIDO, a prestigious optical fair in Milan, Italy. Zien en Horen Frits Van Den Bosch clinched the ‘Best Store Award’ in the ‘Design’ category. WSBdesign was tasked with the design and turnkey realization of the store’s interior.
Five years ago, Frits Van Den Bosch began his search for a better-located building to optimally serve his target audience, with improved parking options. This led him to the former town hall of Wommelgem. WSB was asked to help Optiek Van Den Bosch transform this large property, both interior and exterior.
Industrial optical revolution in Belgium
The focus was on budget-consciousness given the scale of the project. The building was completely stripped, with WSB’s design team giving the exterior a sleeker look while preserving the solid concrete structure inside. A key aspect was street visibility, resulting in the installation of a large skylight running from front to back, flooding the store with natural light. The space was made spacious and grand, with ceilings reaching over 6 meters high across two floors.
Shop-in-shops were created, each with its own identity, while maintaining the DNA of Frits Van Den Bosch. Brands like Lunor, Anne & Valentin, Lindberg, and Etnia Barcelona now have their own stages within the store.
