DETAILS
BRAND: GUCCI
Type: Flagship
Location: New York, United States
Year: 2008
Size: 46,000 square feet / 4,273 square meters
Press: Elle Décor,
Town & Country Travel,
Wallpaper, WWD
OVERVIEW
In 2008, Gucci’s 5th Avenue relocation resulted in its largest store, occupying 46,000 square feet over three glass-enclosed levels. The play of transparency and light, and the overall effect of an inviting, luxurious salon, spoke to the recently renovated, legendary Gucci store in Rome, affirming an international aesthetic language while engaging the dynamic New York City streetscape.
In a nod to Gucci’s leather-goods history, Frida Giannini (Creative Director, Gucci) requested that a room be devoted to a heritage collection. The room was meticulously designed to celebrate the Gucci legacy including a video display and a rotation of exclusive, limited-edition pieces.
THE STAIRCASE
A centerpiece of the store design is the three-level, free-floating staircase that transects the space and is defined by vertical gold metal and clear Plexiglass rods. It connects the three floors, each catering to a different audience: accessories on street level; men’s collections on the second level; and women’s on the third. The multi-level space dedicated to fine jewelry was made accessible via its own entrance on Fifth Avenue and the third-floor women’s ready-to-wear area in the main store.
THE ICONIC & THE MODERN
A key element of the new brand concept was to pay homage to the brand’s history while continuing to be innovative, celebrating iconic pieces while imbuing them with a contemporary sense. Rosewood and marble, signature Gucci materials, remain central to the design, but are used in inventive ways. The team resurrected the Gucci crest as a recurring visual symbol, and the traditional double-G pattern subtly branded the space.
The spaced is enriched with details – the brand’s iconic web strap inspired the assembly of the frames of the glass fixtures, door handles alternate gold and glass vertical stripes.
ART DECO INFLUENCES
The new Gucci aesthetic embraces natural light and warm materials. Polished gold, ribbed, fused-bronze glass, smoked mirror and smoked glass, and traditional dark rosewood create an intimate, inviting atmosphere in the large space. The store exudes elegance, warmth and a striking graphic quality that complements Gucci’s designs.
White marble flooring and luxurious custom carpets create the setting for Art Deco furniture – low-slung chairs, chaise lounges and loveseats of leather and velvet, and smoked glass coffee tables – that were designed specifically for the location.