SETTIMO GRADO

Settimo Grado is a niche concept store in the Italian city of Portogruaro, which brings together products and tools for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The space is shaped around the ideas of self-exploration, bodily practices, applied astrology and self-care. The concept responds to the growing demand for a better quality of life, offering a holistic, multi-sensory experience of interaction with the space and the product. The space is located in a historic building, where the authentic wooden beamed ceiling and elegant facade have been preserved. The task was to very delicately emphasize these elements so that the interior remained organic to the context, but at the same time was modern, light, warm, with an enveloping atmosphere.

This space is about archetypes, symbolism and metaphors, about the rhythms of the body and internal states. About how familiar retail can transform into a sensory experience. The central element was the main exhibition table, which ZRIVERSTUDIO developed specifically for this project. Its shape refers to the archetype of the fluidity of time and echoes the image of an hourglass – a symbol of continuous movement and transition. The table is designed to interact with crystals and stones presented in the concept store collection.
The table surface is filled with white quartz sand, and a specially designed mechanism forms concentric circles that refer to natural rhythms: waves on the water and planetary orbits. The table was realized in Ukraine and delivered to Italy. A team of craftsmen participated in its creation: an individual rotating mechanism was developed, which allows easy interaction with the surface and formation of lines on the sand.

A traditional carved chest from North Africa was found at a vintage market near Venice. These were typically made from solid hardwood—often from a single piece—without any metal fasteners.
The carvings on such chests were not decoration, but language. They were carved with geometric protective signs, symbols of the harvest, sun and water, fertility motifs, archaic forms and “eternal” patterns – spirals, circles, rhythmic repetitions. It was a code that was passed down from generation to generation.
In a space built on archetypes and sensory experience, such a chest works as a symbol of connection with the forces of nature, memory, and ritual.

The symbolism is enhanced by Cassiopée, a ceramic eye lamp. Its embossed details resemble the stars of a distant constellation, while the central opal ball, blown by hand, creates the effect of a stylized pupil that gently draws the eye.
This is a kind of visual accent, noticeable even from the window: it encourages you to stop, take a closer look, and go inside.

The display console was made of aerated concrete and coated with Bauwerk lime paint, the same as the walls of the space. The tabletop has a chiseled, sculptural edge, shaped by hand. The wall shelves are made using the same principle and integrated into the wall. This natural coating creates depth of color without gloss and interacts softly with the light.

Among the craft elements that continue the philosophy of the Settimo Grado brand are the small ceramic signs on the walls. We wanted to give them a slightly naive, almost primitive form so that they would be easy to read, and their images would intuitively convey the brand’s meaning. The signs were created specifically for this space by a local ceramist. This line of handmade work is continued by the ceramic vase from the Ukrainian brand MYCH OBJECTS.

“We thought about the state of feeling more than you can explain.
Craft elements, linked to the Settimo Grado brand philosophy, form an intuitive, multi-layered space that opens up through personal perception.”