New York City
Gluckman Mayner Architects

Photography © Lydia Gould / Bessler

This 3100-square-foot retail space in SoHo marks the launch of a fashion designer's new fragrance line. The concept is a modern interpretation of old-world apothecaries and traditional European parfumeries. The store provides a laboratory setting that complements and suits commercial aspects of selling perfume.

The program includes a main retail space, a private consultation room, and research and development offices and laboratories. The collaboration between architect and client consisted of hands-on planning sessions in which they exchanged and sketched ideas within the future retail space. In addition many full-scale mock-ups were made by the architect and evaluated by the client to thoroughly explore design possibilities. The store's concept incorporates design elements from past client/architect collaboration for the designer's flagship store, but is modified to accommodate the featured products.

The narrow entry is emphasized by an LED contemporary art installation, mounted as part of an enameled steel wall that runs the length of the interior. Descending along the wall is a mirror-image double stair, which leads downstairs to research and development offices and laboratories.

The main retail space is defined by three elements, all of which are distilled from the original concept developed for the designer's flagship store. Visible from the street, a full-height translucent glass wall creates a luminescent backdrop to the product collection, laboratory displays, and product cabinet. Directly opposite the installation wall is a black monolithic product cabinet, accented by a narrow, glass-lined slot. Finally, a long, low cashwrap, complete with touch-screen Internet access and white glass countertop, occupies the body of the space.

Behind the translucent glass wall lies an intimate skylight-lit space, where customers can receive private consultations. An amber-glass window in the corner of this room extends the space of the Parfumerie to the outside.

For more on this project please see the October 2001 issue of Architectural Record.

The Winners: Chesapeake Bay | Corning Museum | Dulwich Galllery | Kuhonji Temple Gate | LVMH Tower | Pedestrian Bridge | Phillips Plastics | Saitama Arena | SAP Headquarters | Chiller Plant | Wieden + Kennedy Headquarters

The Finalists: Allegheny Jail | Hansen Construction | Helmut Lang Perfumerie | Herman Miller Showroom | Lincoln St. Garage | TBWA/Chiat/Day | U.S. Courthouse | Westpac Stadium

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