Designed by Future Systems and located in Birmingham, UK, the Selfridges department store has been listed as one of the top 100 stores to visit throughout the world by Retail Week magazine every year since its opening. Its giant, organic, blob-like form is elevated off of the street and skinned with aluminum disks which sit over a blue-coloured backdrop. A tongue-like footbridge exits the bulbous form several levels up and connects to an adjacent parking structure.
Courtesy of Future Systems
The store is juxtaposed on the edge of the city center against the historic St. Martin’s church in the Bullring shopping area. This location has been described as the meeting of two places of worship- the religious past and the consumerist present. While this was more than likely not one of the driving principles behind the scheme and its positioning, it certainly does make for interesting analysis.
Courtesy of Future Systems
Inside, the architecture shifts from the scaled appearance of the exterior to sleek and white surfaces. The four levels wrap around a main atrium which features criss-crossing escalators running up through the space.
Matt Davis is a Virginia Tech graduate and one of the founding editors behind Arch2O. Launching the platform in mid‑2012 alongside fellow Hokies, he helped shape its identity as an international hub for design innovation and critical dialogue . With a foundation in architectural education and a passion for uncovering unconventional design approaches, Matt has contributed significantly—both editorially and strategically—to Arch2O’s growth, ensuring that emerging architects, academics, and creatives have a space to question, explore, and elevate the built environment.