Vans unveils disruptive new store in London with skateable architecture
Vans West End is an innovative new approach to retail that takes Vans’ skate DNA to a new level through elevated and functional design, exclusive product assortments and regular event programming to create a fully transformable space for the London community.
Vans is putting skateboarding front and centre with a one-of-a-kind skateable retail installation in the heart of London. The iconic Oxford Street location, originally opened in 2019, has been transformed into a next-level retail and community destination, celebrating the cultures that made Vans what it is today – skateboarding, music and art.
Designed by Milan-based architecture firm, Andrea Caputo Studio, the Vans West End store showcases skateboarding culture through elevated architectural and retail design, including a fully transformable skate ramp that brings the House of Vans spirit to a commercial environment through groundbreaking design.
A 200 square metre Roman travertine stone skate ramp runs throughout the entire store, which can be fully merchandised with interchangeable glass modules when not in use as a skate obstacle.
Designed as a single large block of stone, entirely laid and polished on-site, the ramp will be the beating heart of the store, used for regular skate lessons, demos and events by the Vans skate team and local skate schools.
The ramp was designed with the input and consultancy of our Vans skate team, including Martino Cattaneo, Helena Long, Josh Young, Willow Voges Fernandes and Jordan Thackeray.
The concept of Vans West End takes a radical approach to contemporary retail design, adopting a strategy that reduces the store’s storage space requirements by over 50%, in turn increasing the commercial space substantially.
The use of materials includes a unique grinded plywood, a subtle nod to the construction of skate ramps. The plywood underwent an editing process, specifically grinding, which allowed for carving into the wood’s stratigraphy resulting in a one-of-kind carved effect.
The entire space can be evolved to support the different cultural moments that Vans will present at the store on a regular basis. One day it can be in skate mode, hosting kids lessons or a skate demo, the next day it can be ready to welcome a live music show or an art exhibition.
Vans West End is the opportunity for Vans to create authentic relationships with consumers through genuine partnerships, assortment elevation and curated capsules. The introduction of third-party partners is a first for the brand in Europe.
A curated selection of partners that align with Vans counterculture values include The Great Frog, Gomi and Lovenskate. The modular fixture design of the store will allow us to create moments and curated spaces for each initiative, driving new visual merchandising standards.
Famed London jewelers, The Great Frog have merged their punk and metal aesthetics with Vans DNA to create bespoke Vans branded pieces, featuring the iconic waffle, our Checkerboard Slip-On and skull motifs. The custom pieces will be sold alongside iconic items from The Great Frog line.
Brighton-based Gomi create custom printed speakers and power banks from recycled e-bikes and have worked with Vans to design a collection of checkerboard speakers and power banks, carried exclusively at Vans West End.
And longtime friends of the brand, Lovenskate have produced a series of decks and posters with artists including Chloe Bernard, French Sayer, Jon Horner and Isabel White (aka Elfin). The Lovenskate artist series of decks and posters will be available to purchase at the store.
Vans West End have also collaborated with London-based creative Jack Charlie Mitchell who has produced an exclusive zine for the store – “Feel” – featuring work from a diverse spectrum of London creatives. Additionally, Vans and Jack have partnered on a curation of media including books and music for the West End location.
Alongside the introduction of select partners who will evolve on a regular basis, Vans West End will also be a curated and elevated environment for Vans own product assortment with OTW, Premium and Skate at the centre. Vans West End is the first owned retail location in Europe that will stock Vans most pinnacle category – OTW by Vans – previously only available at select partners in the region. Exclusive Vans West End drops will also be available at the store, including a series of “Innit” tees and skate decks as a playful nod to the local slang.
Further pushing the boundaries of what Vans West End will be, the store will restock some of Vans’ most sought-after and limited collections from previous years. The restock will include very limited quantities from drops including OTW by Vans x Parra, Vans x BAPE, OTW by Vans x Undercover and UK skate collaborations including Helena Long’s 2023 collection and the Safe Low from Rory Milanes and Danny Brady.
Andreas Olsson, Vice President and General Manager Vans EMEA:
“When I came back to Vans a little over a year ago, we set out a clear strategy re-setting us for brand elevation through the lens of skateboarding. We had to course correct, making sure we were listening to what youth culture wants and needs from us when it comes to product and experiences. Now just over a year in, we have made big progress against setting new standards for where we want the brand to go and this destination is an important step in that journey”.
The Vans West End location is now open and can be found at 214 Oxford St, London W1D 1LA. The new Vans London Instagram page will be the hub for all future event programming. For more information, visit Vans.eu/WestEnd.