DDi - June 2010 - (Page 18)

18 | Design Snapshot The usual eccentricities The Ace Hotel’s Opening Ceremony gift shop offers a whimsical twist on objects of everyday life By Jessie Bove, Managing Editor D esigned to be the ultimate hotel gift shop, the Opening Ceremony store in New York’s eccentrically quirky Ace Hotel offers up a plethora of travel necessities, from snacks and souvenirs to DVDs and apparel. The 1,500-sq.-ft. shop features a cleverly curated assortment of travel necessities, which were hand-picked expressly for Ace’s clientele of traveling creative professionals and culturally curious tourists. “There is a whimsical and surrealist twist to the objects of everyday life,” says Dominic Leong, partner of New York-based Leong Leong Architecture, which worked closely with Humberto Leon, creative director and cofounder of Opening Ceremony, and his creative team to develop the concept. “The result is an environment that allows people to relate to fashion on a very personal level, rather than as an abstract aesthetic.” The concept for the store was to create two distinct environments, contrasting the qualities of raw versus finished, and masculine versus feminine. “In a nod to the original space, which was split into two shops, we preserved the line of separation and designed two spaces in one,” Leon says of his shop. “This not only helped with making the small space seem larger, but also allowed us to freely incorporate more of our design concepts.” As part of this split concept, one side of the eccentric shop houses men’s essentials, while the other half features merchandise for women. On the men’s side, the design team left the historic plaster ceiling and molding exposed, while creating a display system of scaffolding for a raw, industrial feel. “The building itself is a historic landmark with a storied past that we wanted to express by emphasizing both the old and new,” Leong says. The more “finished,” women’s side showcases vintage jewelry cases from the Harvard library and wardrobe-inspired rack space, as well as floating armoires hung along the wall, taking advantage of the 18-ft.-tall ceilings and creating a “mirroring” effect. Other interesting standout elements of the Photos: Adrian Wilson, New York unique gift shop include elongated-neck mannequins, a vintage 1920s New York public library reception desk reused as a cashwrap, 5-ft.-tall high-heeled-shoe seating, and a giant pizza slice seating area with removable “pepperoni” stools. With a whimsical design ambience and edgy product offering, the Opening Ceremony shop fits in perfectly with the Ace Hotel aesthetic. www.ddionline.com | June 2010 http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2010

DDi - June 2010
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Home Furnishings
Levi’s London
Berlin
Put the “StoreFirst”
Branding in 2010
Most Valuable U.S. Retail Brands 2010
POP Products
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - June 2010