The nostalgia store opens in Valencia: the Rubio notebooks are back
Blond Notebooks inaugurates, with the help of the Masquespacio design agency, its first physical store and it does so in Valencia , a city that has been his home for more than 60 years . The dream of the boy or girl that we (still) carry inside come true.
It's time to get a little nostalgic . If we look back on the memories of our childhood summers we will see the endless hours in the pool water, the sand castles on the beach, the flavored ice creams, the bike rides, the nights lying on the grass watching the stars, the siesta hours wasting time in front of the television and of course the afternoons in front of the famous blond notebooks.
You remember? Little books of mathematics, language, writing, languages and others that each summer the tutor on duty sent us as a review or to reinforce some subject that cost us a little more.
Rubio Notebook Store: 200 m2 of nostalgia
Our parents, us and our children (if we have them) have grown, grow and will grow with the BLONDE METHOD and now he does it with all of us. Several generations of Spaniards have a special affection for these mythical holiday notebooks and it is inevitable not to think of them in an endearing way today. How many afternoons they accompanied us during our childhood!
RUBIO OPENS HIS FIRST PHYSICAL SPACE
this June, more than 60 years after the launch of its first support tokens that later became booklets, from Rubio they have decided to jump into the pool and go one step further by opening their first flagship store. A flagship of more than 200m2 that is located in the Sorni Street No. 9 , a few steps from Columbus Market in Valencia , in the center of the city where both children and adults are invited to enjoy the editorial in a tangible way.
Rubio Notebooks store entrance
“It is an idea that I had in mind for a long time. I wanted to have a space that would pay homage to the history of the publisher and, at the same time, capture the current essence of the RUBIO universe . In addition, we want the store to become a idea lab and in a place of dissemination and active listening to learn first-hand about the interests and needs of our different audiences”, he tells Condé Nast Traveler, Enrique Rubio , current CEO and son of the company founder Ramón Rubio.
Formed the idea, it only remained to carry it out. And how to do it? After almost a year of work between the conceptual phase of the project, its planning, development and execution, the past June 13 they inaugurated the place that could not have been better received.
For its design, from Rubio they have had the best: Masquespacio interior design agency and consultancy (known for creating spectacular restaurants, shops, stores, hotels, among others).
In the year 2015, Nozomi Sushi Bar , one of the best Japanese restaurants in Valencia, managed to be among the ten finalists of the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards , thanks to the interior design created by Ana Milena Hernandez and Christophe Penasse , founders of Masquespacio. The perfect combination of creativity, design and professionalism.
“When Rubio contacted us with the idea of opening his first store, we were immediately excited. The curious thing is that Ana, as a Colombian, and I, as a Belgian, did not know the importance of Rubio notebooks for the Spanish ; however, we followed the brand closely because we had been attracted by its image and its strong commitment to design in its notebooks. From the first meetings we had with Enrique Rubio and his team, we had a very good connection and were able to understand in more detail what the brand was and where it came from”, they indicate from Masquespacio.
Department of Mathematics in the Rubio Notebooks store
WHAT IS HIDING IN THE STORE
A diaphanous entrance welcomes you to the 200m2 space located in the heart of Valencia. The white and the neons in blue and yellow , have been chosen to decorate the rooms of the establishment. The store is made up of mosaic walls and floors that represent the blank page of the notebooks.
Each one of the sections shows some of the specialties of the house ( mathematics, language and calligraphy ) with elements that make it interactive at all times.
“For example, in the math section, the revolving shelves allow children to do calculation exercises at the rear, while at the calligraphy section they can write on the shelf in order to improve their writing. In the tongue area on the other hand we can recognize a small speaker that tells a story. In this case, we have used the methacrylate because it allowed children to write on the same material”, they tell Condé Nast Traveler from the agency and interior design consultant.
Department of Language in the Rubio Notebooks store
Also, workshops, augmented reality spaces , a time Machine and more surprises that occur as soon as you access the blond universe . You can find a great playful and interactive component from the first moment you set foot in the store and it doesn't disappear until you leave it. “It is an interactive space, designed to capture the attention of young and old , with a risky image and different from what they are used to, in which the essence of Rubio is breathed ”, they indicate from the firm.
A TIME TRAVEL BETWEEN THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
The futuristic decoration and design of the store may be surprising at first for a company that has a history of more than 60 years behind it. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Henry Rubio he had it in mind from the first moment: “we were clear from the beginning of the need to show a futuristic image that shows the path we are heading towards. The brand's past is still very much alive and the teaching method that its founder devised is still alive, but we have opened the door to new currents and we have very innovative proposals. We consider ourselves a dynamic publisher capable of creating trends. This store tells our story, the lived one and the one that is yet to come ”.
Entrance to the calligraphy space of the Cuadernos Rubio store
“For Rubio notebooks it was important to show that they were a publisher that is adapted to the new times. In this way, although it is a product that is still made and bought on paper, at all times the objective was to look to the future but without forgetting the great history of the brand. We have achieved this through the use of innovative materials and interactivity ”, they second from Masquespacio.
THERE IS ALSO ROOM FOR THE MOST ADULTS
Those people who think that the products they sell are intended only for the little ones, are completely wrong. In recent years, the company has opted for new aspects and have presented the most novel proposals.
And with them, the adults who during their childhood enjoyed their review books now have the opportunity to learn with creative calligraphy and lettering books , hobbies, stimulation of the mind or those intended to learn English.
White and blue and yellow neons fill the space of Cuadernos Rubio
That is why the store has also been designed not only for the little ones. All people, both children and adults, have a place in the Rubio Universe from Calle Sorní, nº9 in Valencia. A place that you have to see, touch and experience in the first person and if it can be sooner rather than later, much better.
Without a doubt, we have blond for a while . And the direction our favorite notebooks are taking each summer couldn't be more exciting!
The Rubio Universe is in Valencia