All aboard – The Milk Train !
Insta Famous ice cream brand Milk Train approached FormRoom to design and produce an immersive space that catered primarily to their diverse Instagram demographic who have propelled the brand to instant online fame in 2018. FormRoom worked with the brand to strategise and evolve upon their four core pillars; Surreal, Timeless, British and Immersive.
FormRoom created a unique, dream-like landscape for the Milk Train customer. A predominately monochromatic palette is utilized to echo the Art Deco movement popularised amongst traditional train stations and platform iconography. Covent Garden was to provide the core brand design blueprint, by which all future sites will evolve from.
Since launching, the design has generated an unprecedented response online, awarded best Experiential Design at The Drum Awards along with nominations from Dezeen Awards and German Design Awards.
By catering the space to meet the demand of their social footprint, Milk Train’s biggest challenge was finding the balance between timeless and immersive. As this was their first permanent space, the design needed to be unique and interchangeable across all seasons; allowed the brand interior to evolve as swiftly as Instagram trends do.
The key focus was to create a space that was easily adaptable to all trends whilst not deviating from their dreamy ice cream products and the core brand identity. It was important too to consider the volume of customers due to their high popularity, so a space which felt accommodating but limited excessive dwell time in favour of a faster customer experience.
Grand arch detailing with globe lighting feature throughout the space to invoke timeless British train design whilst also providing a more playful interior.
Train station visual cues continue throughout the space using mosaic tiling and wayfinding; including a play on the iconic British underground messaging with “Mind the Melt” embedded into the floor. The brand’s signage and ordering system mimic timeless shutter board platform design.
A dramatic ceiling feature provides a conceptual take on the train’s ‘steam’ and is designed to be easily adaptable for future artistic installations.