At Óptica Elías, architecture, colour, and custom-designed elements converge to transform the conventional optical store into a vibrant and immersive retail environment. Developed by BI in close collaboration with the company’s management team and staff, the project supports the brand’s ongoing growth through a flexible design system adaptable to different locations. Vibrant orange surfaces, contrasting light blue accents, bespoke furniture, and organically shaped display elements establish a distinctive spatial identity while creating a fluid customer journey that encourages exploration and product discovery.
Renewing a Long-Standing Brand
With more than 75 years of history, the family-owned business Elias Optics has established itself as a reference in visual and auditory healthcare. As the company entered a new phase of growth led by a new generation of specialists, it sought to redefine its identity and create a contemporary retail environment capable of supporting its expanding network.
In response, BI developed a new spatial concept for the brand’s five existing locations, translating the renewed corporate identity into a distinctive architectural language.
The new spatial identity is anchored by a vibrant orange palette, punctuated by light blue elements that soften and balance the composition. This chromatic strategy becomes a defining feature of the retail experience and a consistent marker across all Elias Optics locations.
Strategy Through Design
The intervention emerged from an extensive research and consultancy process that combined business strategy, market analysis, and architectural design. Conducted in close collaboration with the management team and staff, this phase established the foundations for both the visual identity and the spatial experience of the stores.
The project was conceived as a flexible and scalable system, capable of adapting to different spatial conditions while maintaining a strong and consistent brand presence.
All this research was consolidated into a Style Manual, which established the new visual universe of Elias Optics. This document includes guidelines on furniture, product design, finishes, graphic elements, lighting, and decoration—creating a consistent identity rooted in contemporary trends and cutting-edge technologies.
The architectural and design project focused on delivering an immersive and differentiated shopping experience. Spaces were designed to cater to various user profiles, with the sales area split into two zones: a dynamic, vibrant space for autonomous customers, and a calmer area designed for assisted sales. This distinction was expressed through specific color palettes and custom-made furniture.
A New Retail Experience
The design challenges the conventional optical store model, replacing its often clinical atmosphere with a warm, energetic, and highly recognisable environment. Throughout the interiors, orange operates as both a branding tool and a spatial device, guiding movement, highlighting key functions, and shaping the overall character of the stores.
Sales areas are organised according to different modes of interaction, combining dynamic spaces for autonomous browsing with quieter zones dedicated to personalised consultation. Organically shaped display elements introduce a fluid spatial sequence that encourages gradual product discovery, while carefully selected materials, lighting, and colour contrasts reinforce the immersive nature of the experience.
To reinforce brand identity, a dedicated product design process was implemented, resulting in the creation of bespoke furniture. Using 3D models, assembly drawings, and full-scale prototypes, custom display furniture, consultation tables, and meeting areas were developed to reflect the brand’s new vision.
The overall design was enhanced with a curated selection of furniture and decor from renowned Spanish brands such as Ondarreta and Sancal, reinforcing the unified and immersive nature of the concept.
The Flagship Store
The first implementation of the new concept was realised at the Elias Optics flagship store on General Castaños Street in Portugalete. Conceived as the primary expression of the brand’s renewed identity, the project establishes the architectural and visual foundations for future locations.
Construction was carefully coordinated to minimise disruption to daily operations, with a strong emphasis on prefabricated elements that allowed for efficient and precise execution. The resulting space functions both as a flagship store and as a prototype for the continued expansion of Elias Optics, demonstrating how a distinctive colour-led spatial identity can be adapted across multiple retail environments.
Facts & Credits
Title Óptica Elías
Typology Interior, Retail
Location Portugalete, Spain
Status Completed, 2024
Area 180 m2
Architecture & Construction BI
Strategic Communication, Branding Team & Graphic Design Marina Goñi Studio
Photography David Zarzoso
Text by the authors