ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS
With formal training and a professional background in architecture and design, I have always viewed spaces as extensions of a brand’s identity —
shaping not only what we see, but how we experience it.
Throughout my career, I have developed trade show stands, shop-in-shop systems, retail interiors, and bespoke display furniture for a wide range of eyewear companies.
Whether temporary or permanent, each project is guided by the same principle: creating environments that speak the same visual language as the collections they present.
For trade fairs, I believe in modular designs that are adaptable without looking prefabricated — structures that can evolve with the brand’s growth and changing needs.
In retail spaces, the goal is to create atmospheres that resonate with a company’s history, philosophy, or future orientation —
whether through material choices, spatial flow, or crafted detail.
From conceptual design to execution, I work closely with clients to ensure that each installation reflects their values and offers an authentic, engaging brand experience.
Beforehand, please note that the selected projects span many years — they are presented in no particular order and represent only a small cross-section of my work.
Should you wish to learn more, I’m happy to share additional details in a personal conversation.
WHITEOUT & GLARE TI22, Trade Fair Concept, Paris, 2009
For this trade fair concept, 6 mm double-walled recycled cardboard and textile tape were the only building materials used.
With just two differently folded modules, the 12-meter-long booth in Paris could be assembled within a single day.
The load-bearing walls were based on a single recurring hexagonal unit composed of six cardboard triangles. By slightly shifting the center point off-center, the hexagons appear deliberately distorted. Rotated by 60° and arranged either concavely or convexly, this one element offered twelve different assembly forms. The result was a strongly faceted exterior — randomly crystalline in appearance, yet carefully structured in design.
COBLENS, Optical Store, Koblenz, 2013
A retail space from the 1950s in the heart of Koblenz was carefully renovated and transformed into an optical store —
preserving the original character while introducing a new sense of clarity and lightness.
The typical postwar aluminum window structures and the once dark entrance of the residential building above were reimagined to create an open, light-filled entryway.
Rather than focusing on traditional product displays, the store features curated exhibitions, complemented by selected everyday objects and themed product worlds.
Behind the walk-in storefront, a generous leather seating area invites visitors to engage in personal consultations. The concept shifts away from conventional browsing,
guiding customers toward a focused, tailored selection of products curated specifically for them.
WHITEOUT & GLARE, Showroom, Berlin, 2011
Polished asphalt floors and the raw, coarse concrete walls of a typical East German Platte (prefabricated building) provide a vibrant backdrop for the monthly changing installations at the Whiteout & Glare showroom — an innovative Berlin-based eyewear brand.
The building’s technical infrastructure was left exposed, with black steel pipes forming a cascading network of conduits that end in sockets, switches, and interchangeable light fixtures, allowing for a highly flexible use of the exhibition space.
A nearly 4-meter-long aquarium serves as a transparent room divider, subtly separating the office area while allowing staff to discreetly monitor the showroom.
LUPENPRINZ UND ADLERAUGE, Optical Shop, Koblenz, 2015
This store is a branch of the renowned optical retailer Coblens in Koblenz, designed specifically for children and teenagers. The primary goal, however, was to appeal to the parents of young customers — many of whom were already familiar with the brand as adult clients.
The original brand color was complemented by a striking day-glow orange, creating a modern and inviting design. Casually grouped seating stools double as practical storage stations for children's toys, rounding out the child-friendly atmosphere.
An eye-catching fluorescent sign ensures the store is visible from a distance. The stylized eyeglass logo intentionally references the iconic Harry Potter glasses, providing a strong and memorable brand identity.
WHITEOUT & GLARE, REEF Campaign, Berlin, 2008
A special collection of sunglasses was used as a vehicle to support a wide-reaching campaign raising awareness about the global decline of coral reefs.
Each model was named after an endangered reef inhabitant and included an explanation of the species and its habitat.
The sunglasses were displayed in custom-made, backlit Plexiglas boxes — arranged in a distinctive, purpose-designed pattern. Each box symbolized a specific species.
What began as a temporary installation ultimately became a permanent exhibit, keeping the special collection and its message in the public eye.
COBLENS, Trade Fair Pavilion, Munich, 2013
In the style of a late-1950s airport lounge, the eyewear label Coblenz presented its current collection “Zentralflughafen” at the time of the exhibition.
Four different consultation areas were designed to offer flexibility — accommodating both individual meetings and group conversations.
A custom-built modular trade fair system, midcentury counters, and selected antiques combined to create a convincing temporary installation.
For the construction of the trade fair walls, tropical wood was deliberately avoided. Instead, highly realistic digital prints of rosewood veneers provided an authentic impression.
Each panel was based on high-resolution photographs of antique veneer sheets, meticulously edited and digitally refined.
The surface finish echoed the yacht lacquers commonly used in the 1950s.
COBLENS, Optical Shop, Berlin, 2014
The second showroom of the high-end eyewear label Coblens is located in the vibrant heart of Berlin, near the historic Hackesche Höfe in Mitte.
A continuous bench system offers seating and storage for waiting customers while discreetly concealing the shop’s entire inventory.
At the center, an elongated counter integrates consultation areas, the checkout, and a dedicated workspace for adjusting frames. A backlit display for sunglasses is positioned near the entrance, with easy access for staff just behind the counter.
For more in-depth consultations, particularly for prescription eyewear, an additional spacious seating area was created, furnished with carefully selected midcentury pieces to ensure a welcoming and refined atmosphere.
SCHÖTTINGER, Optical Shop, Kandel, 2016
A carefully curated, progressive product selection has made "Wir sind die Brille Schöttinger" in Kandel, near the French border, a regional destination for eyewear enthusiasts.
During ongoing operations, two-thirds of the retail space — spread across four levels in a listed farmhouse — were carefully gutted, renovated, and fitted with newly designed display furniture.
A dark grey linoleum floor runs the full length of the building, connecting the various levels with softly flowing seating steps. Exposed and restored timber framework and unplastered clay infills are complemented by brushed oak cubes, blending traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary touch.
White wireframe structures with interchangeable shelves and lightweight metal frames provide a striking visual contrast, offering a neutral and flexible stage for product presentation.
The harp-like eyewear displays are rotatable, and the modular cubes are mobile, allowing the store layout to be easily reconfigured for special exhibitions or events.
SOBRE: Fabián M Hofmann Bonengél, un arquitecte i dissenyador nascut a Suïssa, crea obres d'art visualment sorprenents a més dels seus projectes arquitectònics i de disseny.
Ha rebut nombrosos premis i reconeixements internacionals per les seves instal·lacions espacials, dissenys de productes i obres gràfiques, incloent-hi reconeixements a Alemanya, Japó i els EUA. En els darrers anys, Hofmann Bonengél s'ha centrat en l'art visual i creu que l'arquitectura i la pintura estan interconnectades. El seu treball explora diferents formes de comunicació i treball en xarxa, tant en espais urbans com digitals, i examina la connexió dels individus dins la societat i els diferents mitjans de comunicació, ja siguin analògics o digitals.