6th Oct 2010

The Dragon Comes to Selfridges

Internationally renowned retailer, Selfridges, has just completed a major refurbishment of their flagship London department store and we were delighted to be involved, having been awarded the contract to produce a bespoke, sculptural product display piece entitled the 'Dragon' for the women's shoe department.

Designed by Jamie Fobert Architects, the Dragon is a complex, contemporary design, manufactured using fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials and completed with a vibrant matt green finish. Occupying a space of approximately 16 metres by 4 metres and up to 3.5 metres in height, the Dragon comprises 12 different, interconnecting, faceted units. Accuracy throughout the complex construction process was of paramount importance in order to ensure that the edges of the faceted surface were precise, that the interfaces between units matched and that the assembled structure would fit within the constrained space of the site.

Edwin Stokes, Stage One's Director of Composite Development: "Working closely with the architect and client we were able to realise the Dragon, without compromise, from the 3D computer model to the finished product we now see. The complex nature of the piece required input from our in-house CAD department, woodwork department, CNC machining facilities, FRP laminating and paint departments; so that it could be completed in accordance with both the demanding specification and on time."