When Manolo Blahnik and Kristina Blahnik were exchanging 3D “bubbles” on WhatsApp, the conversation between Manolo Blahnik’s founder and CEO became the design language of a new store. The luxury footwear brand’s new outpost imparts whimsical patterns on Miami’s Design District. The geometry aligns with the brand’s art deco roots as well as the roots of the city. London-based firm Nick Leith-Smith Architecture + Design was tapped to lead the design, dotting the store in perforated patterns using precise fabrication and optical illusions.

On the exterior, the facade is lined with perforated tiles, arranged at a 45-degree angle. Each is finished with a custom polka dot design printed atop. The architects tested panel material, dot size and spacing, and color combinations. They found the two-tone dual-skin system to be the most efficient and impactful when seen from the street. Paradise Architectural Panels and Steels helped construct the facade.

The monochrome and circular motif continues inside. Dots line the top of display cases, counters, and built-in bookshelves thanks to interior joinery by MOprojects. The architects paired the circles with houndstooth textiles, vertical ribbing, and a striped shelving system of individually rotating wall slats—the more patterns, the merrier.

Upstairs, the design is elevated a step further with an interior wall perforated with circular apertures. The portholes allow views onto the streets and nearby greenery thanks to the large window on the facade. Playful and site-specific, the design riffs on a theme without making it feel stale.