Italian architect, Park Associati, designed the recently opened Canali boutique store on Madison Avenue, NYC, utilizing materials from architectural tradition to reflect an elegant sartorial characteristic, common to the Canali brand.
The project’s concept creates a dialogue between fashion and art. The different furnishings are characterized by a system of contrasts, relying on the use of surfaces featuring curved and radial patterns interacting with the square lightweight volumes.
Mineral surfaces such as marble and stone with different finishes combine with wood to create controlled geometries with technically refined metallic finishes. Wall coverings such as plaster and veneer are created using processes inspired by the circularity of the production cycle, thanks to waste recycling, the use of sustainable sources, and organized processes aimed to reduce waste and consumption.
The boutique is further transformed into a refined and unique public-sharing workshop because of the presence of ‘Untitled Views’—a selection of works by the Italian duo Goldschmied & Chiari. The artists’ performative process makes use of colored natural smoke-producing materials to create abstract and fluid pictures, which are then printed on mirrored glass.
The VIP room, physically and conceptually at the center of the store, is another vessel symbolizing the brand’s aesthetic. Designed as a hybrid space, it hosts the works alongside a bar fostering opportunities for informal situations enriching visitor experience.
For this project, particular attention is paid to light. The natural light streaming in through the windows characterizes the front spaces of the store, while the vestibule, the dressing rooms, the cash desk area and the access to the warehouse and ancillary spaces are at the back. The chosen materials and the garments on display are enhanced by the light, which is cast evenly by a lighting system projecting an elegant and original graphic pattern on the ceiling.
Other project partners were New York City firm LB Architects as general and specific project manager, the general contractor Team CIS, light design consultant In-visible Lab, and mechanical and electrical engineer Robert Derector Associates.
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