Selldorf Architects

This project entailed the complete renovation of a 6,000 sf store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. The client, Gant, required a remodeled space to reflect a cohesive appearance for its clothing lines. This flagship store is distinguished by its three-story stainless-steel-and-glass façade, which is back-painted in a pure cobalt blue. Inside, the basement was renovated to become another level for retail and display, and the second floor was expanded. Eighteen-foot-high ceilings on the ground floor and a custom floor-to-ceiling shelving system throughout the store serve to

maximize the amount of space for displaying merchandise. An existing curved staircase and an elevator placed at an angle proved to be the main architectural challenges of the project in that they could not be moved. The staircase is now an elegant centerpiece for the store, and was remodeled using pure white Corian and Venetian plaster. The ceiling is clad in panels of translucent fabric, backlit to provide soft ambient lighting and generate overall warmth. (Photos: David Sundberg | Esto)