Melbourne-based cycling and lifestyle apparel brand MAAP has opened its first UK store at 29 Great Pulteney Street in Soho, London. Known as MAAP LaB London, the location is the brand’s 11th store globally and extends its Life around Bikes (LaB) retail concept into the UK market.
Situated within one of London’s established creative districts, the store has been developed as both a retail environment and a meeting place for the cycling community. The concept brings together apparel, design and cultural programming, with spaces intended to support community rides, talks and other activities.
The London opening follows the introduction of the first MAAP LaB in Melbourne in 2022 and subsequent locations in cities including Berlin, Sydney and Los Angeles. Across its international estate, the brand has continued to develop a retail format that combines its product offer with opportunities for cyclists to connect beyond the shopfloor.
A Retail Concept Built Around Cycling Culture
MAAP’s LaB stores are designed to accommodate different uses, providing adaptable environments for retail alongside events and community engagement.
The Soho location continues this approach, with the design responding to its surroundings while maintaining a connection to the wider MAAP LaB network.
The opening also adds to recent retail activity in Soho, where international apparel brands including Australian label Kookaï and Sheep Inc. have established physical stores with distinct approaches to retail design.
Clare Cousins Architects Develops the London Interior
The new store was designed by MAAP in collaboration with Clare Cousins Architects, with the interior drawing on Soho’s architectural character and materials associated with cycling.
A cobbled stone floor references the surrounding streets while also drawing a connection to the one-day Classics races that form part of cycling’s heritage. Its irregular texture provides a contrast to the more precisely finished materials used throughout the space.
Stainless steel and aluminium, selected for their associations with bicycle engineering, feature prominently within the interior. These surfaces are combined with accents of vivid green, introducing colour against the predominantly metallic material palette.
A curved steel wall brings a further visual element to the store, creating shifting reflections intended to evoke the movement of a cycling peloton.
The design follows MAAP’s wider approach to creating functional, adaptable retail interiors, while introducing details specific to the London location.
Oliver Duff, Director of Architecture at Clare Cousins Architects, added:
MAAP LaB London continues the brand’s international expansion through a retail format that integrates cycling apparel, architectural design and community activity. The Soho store provides a permanent London location for the company’s Life around Bikes concept.
The post MAAP Opens First UK Store in London’s Soho appeared first on 365 Retail – Retail News and Events.
