Pink is having a moment again, and these spaces wear it well.
There’s no doubt the “Barbiecore” aesthetic is the look of the year as “Barbie” breaks box office records and inspires new home décor, red carpet styles and more.
A few commercial properties were pink well before “Barbie” hit theaters, though. They include office spaces, apartment buildings and luxury retail shops.
Here are five places around the world that embrace Barbiecore with undeniable style and flair.
British Barbie
It’s like Barbie’s dream house, but much bigger. This 11-story, award-winning mixed-use tower cast in two shades of millennial pink is home to a Google office, boutique cinema and a spin studio in the heart of London. Since its 2017 debut, the pink steel building designed by Duggan Morris Architects has provided a splash of color in a reimagined and fast-growing former industrial area.
“Part of our brief was to make it eye-catching,” Joe Morris of Duggan Morris Architects, told Architects’ Journal in 2017.
Detailed fixtures like the suspended lights outside feel bespoke and blend with the exterior. Between the aesthetic and use mix, the result is a distinctive space designed to make occupants feel warm, welcome and inspired.
L.A. Barbie
“Fuchsia. Millennial. Tumblr. Shocking. Pepto-Bismol. Whatever word you use to describe the specific shade of pink that emblazons our Melrose Avenue shop’s exterior (otherwise known as Instagram’s The Pink Wall), you can hardly deny it’s a modern icon,” apparel chain Paul Smith muses online about its famous store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
Inspired by the monochromatic “color-block” style of Mexican architect Luis Barragán, the store’s design went bold with pink in 2005, years before Instagram. Now the highly Instagrammable wall, quintessential of L.A., is a brilliant, albeit perhaps accidental, marketing play that drives traffic to the store.
Spanish Barbie
Situated atop cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean coast, La Muralla Roja boasts views that might make even Malibu Barbie jealous. Built in 1973 as a 50-unit apartment building, some of the units at this tourist destination can be rented on Airbnb.
Architect Ricardo Bofill drew inspiration from fortress-like North African casbahs when designing this geometric masterpiece. The interconnected irregular shapes and use of color gives La Muralla Roja (“The Red Wall”) an illusion of space. It’s believed the complex inspired the labyrinthian staircase set in the Netflix show “Squid Game.”
Parisian Barbie
The most famous pink restaurant in the world might just be La Maison Rose in Paris. Open since 1908 in the artist enclave of Montmarte, the café and one-time boarding house is renowned for its charming, pink exterior and its historical significance, particularly during the early 20th century.
During that time, it became a gathering place for artists, writers and other creatives who lived in or frequented the neighborhood, including Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the latter of whom is believed to have depicted the inn in his work.
The pink paint is complemented by ivy-covered walls and flower-filled windowsills, and the cozy interior exudes old-world charm.
Coworking Barbie
Office Evolution, Raleigh, North Carolina
Here is a limited-edition Barbie-inspired office with pink paint, pampas grass and an affirming “Hello Gorgeous” neon sign. It’s available for flexible monthly or annual terms.
The space is located in Office Evolution Raleigh, a suburban coworking space near a walking trail with a community kitchen and market, complimentary beverages and free parking.