Hoff Opens London Flagship with Zellige and Sculptural Design

Spanish footwear brand Hoff has unveiled its new flagship store in London’s Covent Garden, with interiors studio El Departamento creating a warm and tactile retail environment defined by handmade zellige ceramics, sculptural furniture and carefully balanced industrial detailing.

Occupying a 163-square-metre site in one of London’s busiest retail precincts, the store was conceived as an evolution of Hoff’s Madrid flagship rather than a direct replication.

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The design builds upon the brand’s existing retail identity while responding to the character and context of its new location.

Led by Alberto Eltini and Marina Martín, El Departamento selected a palette of warm, approachable materials to reflect Hoff’s accessible brand ethos. Handmade zellige tiles play a central role throughout the project, with butter-yellow ceramic surfaces wrapping key display elements, including a prominent central showcase and integrated shelving systems.

The handcrafted finish introduces texture and visual warmth to the interior, creating a welcoming backdrop for the trainer collections while reinforcing the store’s artisanal character. This warmth is balanced by the inclusion of stainless steel and industrial metal grating, which are used across the upper planes of the space and within the exposed technical ceiling.

A gridded floor extends the geometric language of the ceiling, creating a visual dialogue between the horizontal and overhead surfaces. The resulting composition establishes a strong architectural framework while maintaining a sense of openness and flexibility throughout the store.

Against this structured backdrop, El Departamento introduced a series of playful and expressive furniture pieces. Among the most notable is a bespoke glass table developed in collaboration with artist Phoebe Collings-James, featuring bulbous blue forms that bring a sculptural quality to the retail environment. These softer, organic elements provide contrast to the store’s clean lines and geometric detailing.

The design approach extends to the exterior, where slightly darker-toned zellige tiles wrap the facade. The ceramic finish creates a distinctive street presence within Covent Garden while maintaining a sense of warmth and hospitality. The textured surface helps the flagship stand apart from neighbouring retail tenancies without relying on overt branding gestures.

Overall, the project demonstrates how materiality, craftsmanship and spatial restraint can work together to elevate a retail environment. By creating a neutral yet character-rich setting, El Departamento has ensured the architecture supports rather than competes with Hoff’s product displays, allowing the brand’s colourful footwear collections to remain the focal point.

Images courtesy of Hoff via Dezeen

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