Marble Floor, Selfridges

About this project

At the Selfridges flagship on Oxford Street, Jamie Fobert Architects redesigned the Galleries as one large, open, naturally lit space, where the boundaries between brand boutiques almost dissolve. The floor defines the character of the place: a marble designed to merge effortlessly from one area to the next, guiding the visitor's journey through the space. For this project, a rich palette of marbles was supplied: Calacatta Oro in five tonalities, together with Grigio Carnico, Fior di Bosco, Nero Marquina, Bianco Carrara and Arabescato. Different tones, layered and blended across the entire surface, to heighten the sense of movement and journey through the space. A project where stone is not merely cladding but the material that shapes the experience: at one point, the floor lifts and curves to form a screen two metres high and just five millimetres thick, translucent against the light from the windows. Selecting and matching such varied marbles into a single composition begins with the raw material at the quarry — where every block is assessed for tone and veining before cutting.

Gallery