Balenciaga opened its largest store in the U.S. on Wednesday in New York‘s SoHo.
The 9,795-square-foot store at 110 Greene Street, is located in a landmark building that was constructed in 1908. On its brick facade, the metal letters SOHO BLDG aer still visible. Inside, the store boasts the “most comprehensive example of the brand’s Raw Architecture concept,” the company said. The experiential Raw Architecture concept is intended to be reminiscent of construction sites and abandoned spaces. It is built using existing elements, resulting in fewer raw materials, a move that keeps with Balenciaga’s commitment to sustainability.
The company said entering the store is meant to be similar to walking into an art installation. The two-story space appears to be in disrepair with artistry resembling demolition and intensive aging techniques.
The ground and mezzanine levels are visually separated by a slab spanning the store’s width; the space includes columns and saw-cut remains of solid wood pieces serve as display shelves. There is an elevator at one end and a staircase at the other, each presented as freestanding entities, spotlit by a central skylight.
Original lime-wash bricks, cabochon marble flagstone, concrete masonry, cement panels, bare drywall, exposed plaster, stucco, steel and glass are all included in the space, along with the brand’s signature carpeting, satin wraps and refined lighting.
The new Balenciaga flagship features the Raw Architecture design concept.
Courtesy of Balenciaga
The Greene Street flagship, which replaces a unit on Mercer Street, will carry ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, jewelry, eyewear and accessories for men and women, as well as special items that will be available only at the SoHo store. Those will include signature-fit garments, caps and bags in the Explorer, Crush and New Jersey lines that feature an existing New York Balenciaga varsity logo reworked in a DIY style to create the words New Store Balenciaga Greene St.
Runner sneakers will also be offered in a fluorescent yellow, purple, gray and white.
“Balenciaga is proud to relocate and expand its SoHo presence,” said Cedric Charbit, chief executive officer of Balenciaga. “Each Balenciaga store is unique, the newer ones even more so, and the Greene Street flagship is the summation of our Raw Architecture interior design, which creates a space to experience modern luxury retail in a conceptual, art installation-like atmosphere. We design stores to be immersive, focusing on clients and emotions first. The store is a landmark and an experience in and of itself. We are experiences-makers.”
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