Pop-Up Boutique in Former Solar Panel Shop Decorated With Recycled Materials

A collective of designers in Antwerp, Belgium has set up shop within a former <a href="http://inhabitat.com/solarcitys-solarstrong-project-will-double-the-number-of-residential-solar-panels-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">solar panel</a> store, transforming the space into a lively studio and pop-up shop. The group of clothing and accessories designers has named their collective <a href="http://ateliersolarshop.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Atelier Solarshop</a> in tribute to the site's history, and they sell their wares in the space, which they design using found and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/recycled-materials">recycled materials</a>. The group recently opened their third <a href="http://inhabitat.com/interview-we-talk-to-bicycle-library-founder-karta-healy/" target="_blank">pop-up shop</a> in the beautifully designed space - read on for a look inside!

Based in Antwerp, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/artist-kris-verdoncks-enclosed-bio-dome-is-full-of-belgium’s-most-invasive-species/" target="_blank">Belgium</a>, the design collective works from the former solar panel shop, turning it into an event space at will.

They employ recycled and found materials in their décor as a tribute to the shop’s former use. For their most recent <a href="http://inhabitat.com/inflatable-transparent-church-travels-around-the-netherlands-pops-up-on-demand/" target="_blank">pop-up</a>, Atelier Solarshop scoured the streets of Antwerp for discarded mirrors, and fallen tree branches.

Thick, knotty <a href="http://inhabitat.com/inhabitat-attends-an-inspiring-and-soggy-woodland-design-lab-camping-trip-in-wales/" target="_blank">branches</a> serve as racks to display handmade clothing designed by one member of the collective. Pieces of tree stumps display vases and hand bags, and discarded wood has been used to build makeshift platforms for wallets and clutches.

The group constructed an arched half wall to divide the space into <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyns-shipping-container-dekalb-market-opens-this-saturday-july-23/" target="_blank">boutique-like areas</a>. They cut pieces of scrap paper into rectangles, then hung the sheets in rows on either side of the wall, emulating the bark of the found branches. The effect resembles a blown-up <a href="http://inhabitat.com/visiondivision-unveils-swing-set-and-visitor-kiosk-made-from-a-single-100-foot-tree/" target="_blank">cross-section of a tree</a>, or a hut found in the forest.

The designers' wares are arranged like an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/dominic-wilcox-upcycles-old-paint-brushes-into-fun-coat-hooks/" target="_blank">art installation</a>, engaging visitors in a more creative way than a standard retail shop might. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/a-serene-double-glazed-glass-facade-envelopes-the-british-embassy-in-warsaw/" target="_blank">mirrors</a> are placed about to reflect the wares and the store's wood elements.

Atelier Solarshop’s <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyns-shipping-container-dekalb-market-opens-this-saturday-july-23/" target="_blank">pop-up shops</a> are an extension of the collective's creativity - they combine each member’s design aesthetic with the sustainable history of their location.