Saturday, February 20, 2010

House of Barbie

The memories of playing with Barbie dolls when I was a little girl are wonderful. She had a fantastic, colorful wardrobe full of glamorous outfits, shoes, and accessories. All that engaged my imagination in a positive way, despite her unrealistic figure measurements!

Ruth Handler introduced the concept of Barbie in 1959 at a toy fair in New York City. The doll was named after Handler’s daughter Barbara. In 2009, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Barbie doll. As a part of this celebration, a multi-million dollar retail establishment opened in Shanghai: House of Barbie. The project was designed by Slade Architecture, and recently recognized by Interior Design magazine as among the best projects in retail design.


The pink escalator tunnel to the upper floors


The spiral staircase surrounded by Barbie dolls

In the United States, designer Jonathan Adler celebrated Barbie’s 50th anniversary by designing Barbie Malibu Dream House. His shop sells a variety of Barbie themed accessories. Enjoy his tour.
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Photos courtesy of Slade Architecture's site


3 comments:

DC by Design said...

Thanks for introducing me to your site! I saw Jonathan's Barbie line at the NY gift fair in August, and also found my way to the Shanghai pis. Amazing -- wish the store were closer!

Greet Lefèvre said...

Thank you so much for letting us know! I realy did not heard about the house earlier!
I would love to see the house! Barbie was a favorite doll to play with when I was a kid!
xx
Greet

Picture of Elegance Blog said...

I’m sure the tour of the house can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Creative design cannot be ignored…

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