1870 Broadway is a West Elm flagship
store for the Upper West Side residents of New York The brand targets young,
design-conscious consumers looking to furnish or accessorize their apartments,
lofts or first homes with quality products at accessible price points. West Elm product categories include
furniture, decorative accessories, tabletop items and an extensive textile
collection.
The concept is a “found space” of
idiosyncratic spaces and exposed architectural details. Part loft, part
warehouse- the high ceiling/open plan concept conveys a relaxed urban
lifestyle that allows for flexibility in
display areas and product category locations.
The storefront identifies the brand
with industrial-sized doors of horizontal teak slats and large expanses of
clear glass. Once inside, an open
gallery of over-scaled stacked shadowbox displays leads the customer up the
escalator to the upper level store. On the main retail level, large scale wall
units framed with heavy timber and detailed with oxidized steel boltheads
demarcate distinct yet contiguous areas with a meandering traffic flow. In addition, strategically located raised
platforms define “Apartments” where complete lifestyle displays are exhibited.
White and basswood wall units, designed specifically for the lighting, bedding,
bath, rug, and window treatment product categories are located within a design
center, for easy viewing of full product lines.
Central within the store and
adjacent to the design center is the “knuckle”, a transitional room of backlit
industrial glass and oxidized steel walls for a dramatic wall display of chairs
and tables.
Reinforcing the notion of a found
space, pendant linear fixtures float below the dark-painted existing ceiling,
creating a new ceiling plane of focused light.
Individual projector lights create an element of drama in the subtly
muted space by throwing spotlights on displays.
A warm palette of natural materials makes the vast space feel personal
and inviting: distressed wood floors, natural cleft slate floors, oxidized
steel handrails and fixture accents. An overscale teak slat cashwrap backdrop
echoes the entry doors and reinforces the trade dress elements that define the
West Elm brand.
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