Completed 2009
1,000 square feet
Commercial fit-out

Opened in 2009, this first retail establishment for The Urban Grape, a wine store focused on an unparalleled selection of wine, beer, spirits, and sake, is tucked into a narrow, 75-foot long retail space with entry at both ends located in a shopping center in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts. Recognizing the obvious limitations as well as the potential strengths of the space, OEA planned the store to both maximize the storage of inventory – wine racks are stacked two deep behind the finished wall – and use the store’s length to create a powerful image of wine display. The walls and ceilings comprised of continuous maple veneer plywood panels create a warm coherent environment in which patrons feel comfortable and the wine takes center stage. Combined with the polished concrete floors and concrete retail counter the materials evoke the urban atmosphere that represents the aesthetic of the store’s young owners. Building on the success of their store, Urban Grape proceded to open their second location in the Boston's South End.