The Story Behind Patchi’s Sleek New Frameless Glass Walls at Dubai Mall | HUFCOR | Case Study

You are strolling through Dubai Mall, the largest shopping center in the world, when suddenly a sleek glass storefront catches your eye. As you get closer, you see it’s Patchi, the upscale chocolate shop that doesn’t have its usual chocolatey brown décor and is replaced by the minimalist glass walls that make the colorful chocolates pop. You cannot help but step inside this gorgeous new space just marveling at that aesthetics!

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In this case study, we deep dive into the intricate design process, the technical challenges, and how we built Patchi’s latest retail store with Hufcor’s frameless glass wall systems!

Know all about it below!

-????????? Project – Patchi Retail Store

-????????? Industry Type: Food & Beverage

-????????? Project Location: LG 127, Lower Ground Floor, The Dubai Mall

-????????? Product Installed: Hufcor Series 3630 Frameless Glass Walls

-????????? Design/build Partners: Havelock One Interiors

-????????? Architectural Design Consultant: Parisotto+Formenton Architetti

-????????? Date of completion: Jan 2023

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Introduction

Patchi were looking for an open-concept feel for their new retail store at Dubai Mall and had hired Havelock One Interiors as their interior design firm who then recommended Gibca Furniture for the Glass Walls. Since our recent acquisition of Hufcor, specifying the Hufcor Series 3630 frameless glass wall system became an obvious choice once we understood Patchi’s requirement.

We worked closely with the designers to customize and tailor make a glass walls solution and the result was a striking design, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass panels with minimal vertical supports for an unobstructed view of the Patchi Store.

Challenges

With any project, there are a lot of variables that aren’t really in your control, and you still have to navigate through those obstacles to bring your client’s vision to life and this project was no different. The key challenges were:

1)????? Significant Height Requirement

The frameless, operable glass wall design that we had specified needed to be 3.8 meters in height, and with many shop fronts, high traffic, transportation from the loading bay to site within the mall combined with installation was quite a challenge.

2)????? Customized Handles

The client wanted customized handles as opposed to our standard offering and that presented a unique challenge to our team. Since the Glass Wall was frameless, the custom handles required precision engineering to ensure seamless integration for which we worked in tandem with the design team to ensure that it met the exact specifications.

Solution

After understanding the specifications and the challenges it was clear that the Hufcor 3630 frameless glass walls were the way forward for Patchi. We used 12mm extra-clear, low iron-tempered glass panels fixed to top and bottom rails with pins through pre-drilled holes whilst the glass panels were powder coated in black to match the sleek modern aesthetic of the store. Moreover, the foot bolts that lock into the floor socket, as well as the adjacent panel, were used to seamlessly join the glass panels together as this created an uninterrupted glass fa?ade and an open concept feel desired by the client.

From a quality assurance standpoint, we ensured that each stage of the installation was methodically checked and re-checked by our team to guarantee the highest standards were met. All final inspections were rigorously performed to ensure that the frameless glass wall system was level, secure, and functioning properly prior to handling the site over to the client.

The sleek frameless glass fa?ade of the new Patchi store in Dubai Mall is a shining example of our technical capabilities and commitment to excellence as seamless collaboration, open communication, and a solution-focused approach were instrumental in bringing this unique architectural vision to life.

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So, there you have it – behind the scenes look at how we brought Patchi’s vision to life with sleek new glass that transformed their space. With careful planning, custom design, and expert installations we crafted an open and inviting storefront that aligns with Patchi’s brand. It just goes to show that even in a huge, busy place like Dubai Mall, the right glass walls can create an oasis that draws customers in. Now you can visit Patchi and see our work firsthand. Run your fingers across the smooth glass surfaces we fabricated, take in views of the chocolate confections through crystal clear panes, and raise a cup of Arabic coffee to sleek glass walls!

ABOUT GIBCA

Gibca Furniture Industry Co. LTD. (LLC), part of the Gibca group, is a premier Space Management Solutions Provider across the MENA Region. Since our establishment in the 1990s, we have provided innovative and quality workspace solutions for over 75,000 installations throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. By fostering a culture of innovation and creativity, Gibca has diversified its portfolio from having Cubicles, Acoustics, Ceilings, Partitions, Glass Panels, etc under our umbrella!

To learn more about our full range of products, click here. For any queries or any projects that you have in mind, feel free to drop us an email at [email protected]!