Croatia’s first sustainable store

The project for the new bio&bio store in Martićeva Street in Zagreb began with the usual kick-off meeting at the location and the functional task of laying out the different zones and the products according to the plan. However, upon entering the premises of the former bank for the first time, the entire Brigada and bio&bio team realized that this is an exceptional location that has the potential of becoming much more than just an organic products store.

As always, we focused on the sustainability of the whole project and avoiding the production of unnecessary waste. The amount of waste produced during an interior renovation, even a minor one, is large. Oftentimes, most of the waste cannot be recycled, so the best approach to eco-friendly interior design is to keep as much of the pre-existing materials as possible and to avoid unnecessary new alterations. Therefore, we kept the stone covering and pseudo-Gothic arch on the main wall and used the leftover bricks to fill-in the openings that are no longer needed. In addition to the eco-friendly paint used to paint the walls and the new installations, with our design we decided to avoid almost all the usual decorative interventions such as plaster-cardboard linings, suspended ceilings, partitions, and the like.

The end result is a space that looks somewhat imperfect – the walls tell stories of previous tenants, there are exposed pipes and visible damage from previous usage. However, accepting the beauty in imperfection is precisely the spirit behind organic production. In order to avoid using plastic as much as possible, we collaborated with the street artist Modul 8, who painted the brand’s logo on the walls.

An important segment of the space is the organic café where one can drink specialty coffee with various types of milk, eat a vitamin-filled breakfast or vegan lunch, which in turn has further enhanced the Martićeva Street reputation as one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods in Zagreb.