Alessi Flagship Store is located in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. This long 1,800 square foot interior store design is a place that showcases the household products for the super design conscious Italian manufacturer. It is a hot location situated on 130 Greene Street where a lot of design stores can be found – providing a dense population of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis.

However, the 13-foot wide store front of the renovated loft building lacked the dramatic presence that will make it stand out in this neighborhood. Hence, Asymptote Architecture was commissioned to create a new identity for the Alessi brand. They did not only the retail design of the store’s architecture but also the graphic elements found within the store from walls and packaging to the distinct modular display system.

In order to make this commercial design stands out, the addition of an espresso bar and gallery-exhibition space within the store space was created. This expands the conventional design for retail. Asymptote Architecture has design a shop that was named as the Best Retail Space in 2007 by the Travel + Leisure magazine and received an AIA New York Chapter Design Award.

The addition of the espresso bar inside the shop has maximized the space which is “too big” for Alessi’s retail operation. This will draw out potential customers in the process since the bar serves on Alessi tableware allowing them to demonstrate the fanciful objects that were made and manufactured not only for collection but for utilization as well.

Asymptote Architecture designed both the interior and graphics of the architecture and this firm was led by Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture. As a result, the image of Alessi was updated from its postmodern image of the 1980s. This Alessi Flagship Store designed by Asymptote Architecture was different especially since it is located in New York.

The color scheme utilized in the architecture is pale blue and cloud-white in order to give the space an ethereal aura which will pull visitors in and into the espresso bar and beyond to the objects for sale. They created a series of folded walls and ceilings which are made of medium density fiberboard that is spaced following a precise rule and manner. The beautiful store is visible from the street and the jagged receding planes were added a dramatic touch through the 2 feet wide light bars that lined the folds.

Indeed, this shop design is one that has made Alessi an amazing store overall.

Posted by JackieAzuela at 29 November, 2011

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