DDi - July 2010 - (Page 20)

20 | Design Snapshot SoHo refined Isabel Marant’s first U.S. boutique brings artful sophistication to New York By Lauren Mitchell, Editorial Intern F rench designer Isabel Marant opened her first standalone store in the United States this past April. Admirers of her effortless-cool style can now find her bohemian dresses, fringe boots and luxe accessories at the new boutique, located in New York’s SoHo district. Marant once again enlisted French architect Nicolas André, designer of her three shops in Paris, to conceive the debut U.S. store. Located at 469 Broome St., the space occupies about 2,200 sq. ft. of the ground floor of the historic Gunther building. André, assisted by New York-based Beyhan Karahan & Associates, developed a design concept aimed at preserving the building’s original elements while creating a modern space. “I imagined this space as a hymn to the wonderful architecture of SoHo,” André says. “With its cast-iron architecture and the decoration of the 19th century so well preserved, the Gunther building offered a very inspiring context to organize a shop that is very light, but also a bit labyrinthine—a sort of forest.” Concrete flooring and a ceiling covered with embossed metal panels are reminiscent of the rough elegance of SoHo’s industrial past. Wood beams and original Corinthian columns emphasize the generous open space, which boasts gallery-like, 15-ft. ceilings, typical of SoHo retail environments. Technical elements are cleverly hidden within the beams, including LED lights that highlight the metal details throughout the boutique. Raw wood elements provide a surprising contrast to the classiccool SoHo details, giving the space its modern edge and creating a visual cohesiveness. As customers enter the store through a “jungle” of slender wood columns, mountain-range-like floor installations, consisting of nearly 3,000 ash blocks in total, draw the eye to informal display areas along the perimeter of the store. Suspended in the center of the boutique is a “bird’s nest” with walls made up of 126 randomly arranged solid ash timbers. The standout cabin structure, which houses Marant’s jewelry collection, provides a place of intimacy within the fluid space, André explains. With the use of natural materials, the architectural team created a unified contemporary design without overshadowing the character of the historic space. “This is a very subtle environment, playing down the glossy, colorful SoHo retail experience,” says Beyhan Karahan, associate architect of the self-named firm. The boutique is a refreshingly simple and elegant space to showcase Marant’s trendy French clothing and accessories. www.ddionline.com | July 2010 Photos: Adrian Wilson, New York http://www.ddionline.com

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

Display & Design Ideas - July 2010
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor's Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Health & Beauty
CityCenter
State of the Fixture Industry Roundtable
Products
2010 Fixture Leaders Listing
2010 Fixture Leaders Company Index
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Advertisers
Calendar
Classifieds
Think Tank

DDi - July 2010