Stephen Webster Window Displays

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Client
Stephen Webster

Design
Hollaway Studio

Location
Burlington Arcade, London

Year
2023

Role
Fabrication

Jeweller Stephen Webster is known for doing the unexpected. His flagship store in Burlington Arcade, designed by Hollaway Studio, reflects that instinct. The space operates as both gallery and front room, filled with objects, artworks and personal references that offer insight into Webster’s creative world.

Form & Matter were commissioned to fabricate a series of kaleidoscopic window displays for the store. Positioned between street and interior, the displays capture attention from the arcade while supporting the jewellery on display and remaining in dialogue with the wider interior concept.

Hollaway Studio approached Form & Matter with the initial idea for a kaleidoscopic jewellery display. From the outset, the intention was to create something closer to an object of curiosity than a conventional display case.

The displays were developed through prototyping and testing, working directly with Hollaway Studio and Stephen Webster. Ideas were exchanged and tested in real time, shaping form and material as the object evolved.

Form & Matter led the technical development of the displays, using CAD to resolve proportions, tolerances and movement. Early prototypes were used to test how the jewellery would sit within the object and how mirrors and mechanisms would behave in motion.

Rather than concealing the mechanics, the design allows them to remain visible. How the object functions becomes part of the experience.

Form & Matter proposed a material palette that aligned with Hollaway Studio’s interior while allowing the displays to retain their own identity.

Waxed mild steel was selected for its warmth and surface quality, while walnut veneer introduced contrast and refinement. Together the materials provide a balance between solidity and tactility.

A stainless steel motorbike chain forms the driving mechanism of each display. Left exposed, it combines function with a subtle reference to jewellery-making and mechanical craft. Custom bearings and turning mechanisms were fabricated to ensure smooth, controlled rotation.

Behind the jewellery, an agate façade panel introduces depth and variation. The natural patterning interacts with mirrored surfaces to create shifting reflections as the mirrors rotate.

The jewellery itself remains stationary on a custom holder that projects from the agate panel, allowing the mirrors to rotate around it without placing stress on the pieces.

Three bespoke kaleidoscopic display cases were fabricated and installed in the shop window.

From the arcade, the displays create movement and reflection, drawing attention without overwhelming the jewellery. They sit comfortably within Hollaway Studio’s interior scheme while remaining distinct objects in their own right.

The project reflects a shared approach between client, designer and fabricator: ideas developed through making, materials chosen for how they behave as well as how they appear, and mechanics treated as an integral part of the design.