LED light: ERCO shop lighting for the Overkill store, Cologne

In the era of online retailing, shop owners attempt to offer more to make the shopping experience in stores appealing to customers. Overkill Cologne has perfected this, functioning as a store for sneakers, an exclusive boutique and an art gallery. That is the essence of Overkill. Across 145m², the store demonstrates its love for streetwear with displays of merchandise that resemble exhibitions of art. In addition to Italian marble and pictorial art, light is an essential part of the expressive interior concept. With powerful wallwashing and precise accentuation, wirelessly controllable ERCO spotlights radiantly display streetwear and art.

The store opened its doors in autumn 2021 at the lively Alter Markt in Cologne's historic centre. Overkill hails from Berlin, and its two main Kreuzberg branches, one specifically for women and children, are well-known places where sneaker fans meet up. However, it's much more than just sports shoes: Overkill represents urban lifestyle, is a host to events and exclusive sneaker releases and offers a wide range of graffiti paraphernalia. Fans of comfy and trendy footwear and lovers of street art – both target groups are catered for. This is also expressed in the concept of Overkill Cologne.

Interior design with the signature of Michelangelo

Exclusivity is the catch word. Starting with the sneakers themselves, and thought through to the last detail of the design concept: the wall elements, the floor and a massive sales counter are made of Carrara marble (Statuario Venato). The strikingly conspicuous white stone with grey veining was imported in the form of blocks from Italy and processed by a Berlin stonemason. The Italian sculptor Michelangelo, in his time, also selected the exclusive marble from the quarry at Carrara for his works.

LED lighting from ERCO lends a particular brilliance to the surfaces. The combination of white marble and neutral white light with 4000K creates a bright, fresh atmosphere and gives spaces a clean look – the perfect backdrop for colourful sneakers.

A creative space for sneakers and art

The shopping experience is akin to visiting an art exhibition. A white marble rock, also from Statuario Venato, adorns the entrance area. Canvases by the Berlin artist Stohead are currently displayed on the walls. It's similar to entering a gallery with a white cube ambience, and indeed, neither the lighting nor the interior concept differentiates between an art exhibition or the presentation of merchandise.

The sneaker is transformed into a work of art and is appropriately presented. A custom-designed sneaker chandelier hangs from the ceiling, with handmade glass Adidas models of footwear forming an impressive light installation. In the back of the shop visitors find themselves in sneaker heaven: a powerful blue ceiling mural with a sky design is seen, as if in a sacred space.

Sneaker paradise with a flexible lighting system

The lighting concept is based on high visual comfort and uniform wallwashing, all made possible thanks to Optec spotlights from ERCO: lens wallwashers (38W LED) powerfully and uniformly illuminate the sneaker walls. Homogeneous illumination of the vertical surfaces creates an elegant display of merchandise and simultaneously a generous impression of space. Spotlights with 6° narrow spot distribution accentuate highlights.

The light is of museum quality, including the ideal rendering of colours (CRI>92) and material textures of the footwear and marble. Due to precise optics that direct the light only to where it is needed, LED modules with just 4W are in some cases sufficient for concise accents. Optec spotlights with wide flood distribution (approx. 50°) were installed in the checkout area. Here, a focus is on the planar illumination of the sales counter and the faces of the customers and sales team.

Wireless light control with Casambi Bluetooth enables the individual setting of various light scenes. The store is brightly illuminated during the day, but at night the accent can be placed on the marble blocks and the window display. Lighting scenes can also be individually programmed using a smartphone or tablet for events. Even in dimmed state the light is without flicker – ideal for snapshots with a smartphone camera. The luminaire arrangement can also be flexibly modified according to new store concepts: Optec spotlights have luminaire heads that swivel through 270° for precise alignment onto the merchandise. The position of the luminaires in the track can also be changed without tools or effort.