When TRA was asked to design a new innovative, authentic, responsible and, flexible concept for the “flagship” Agnes b. laboratory, we had negotiate often contrasting needs and programs.
The space, located in an 1863 loft building, curiously located on a short street that connects the very busy Broadway and the very private Mercer Street, had to be elegant and timeless, sparse but not spare, also warm and inviting, like the Agnes b.’s line itself; it also had to be specific to SoHo and entirely flexible, allowing for repositioning or complete removal of the fixtures, to support different interpretations and the development of what the company describes as “projects”.
The challenge was to design a space that was a store, but also where the well known and established, separate modes of the company could find their expression. Like Agnes’s “point d’ironie” , a hybrid periodical - half magazine, half poster , the space is half gallery and half retail, it maximizes the brand through the minimalism of the space: the curated fashion, music, art and screenings are part of the décor.
The customers will be given the chance to immerse themselves a dynamic laboratory that can be used in infinite modes, from maximum hanging to a minimalist open gallery for art installations, performances or fashion shows, maximizing the awareness of the product as well as of the surrounding environment.
The loft presents the unusual characteristic of sloping more than a foot from the front to the back; similarly to other spaces designed by the TRA, the pragmatic resolution of the problem becomes the geometric structure and provides the iconic image around which the design is built.
A 30’ long, sleek, stepped platform greets the visitor and at once separates and connects the front “project room”, at once a quiet lounge and a dynamic gallery, to the store proper. The required access ramp, located at the far end of the store, suggests a continuous looped circulation, which spontaneously identifies the men’s the Passage Femme and the Passage Homme. Along the platform, the metal and wood railing is reminiscent of both, SoHo’s fire escape enclosures and of balconies in . The two departments share the upper “terrace” and changing rooms, an in-house old-fashioned tailoring department , located on the lower level, reinforces the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and allows for the individualization of one’s wardrobe.
A dedicated sound system, multiple projection points, museum-like hanging tracks, suspended shelves and bars, trolleys and storage/seating units on casters, complete the truly flexible space.
The contrast between the thin cables and floating thick lacquered shelves like, the choice of rough and smooth finishes, parallels the Agnes B. aesthetic where sturdy fabrics can be found along side the sheer and precious. The color is sparse, changing with the transition of the day.
The industrial, authentic, responsible loft aesthetic and the blurred distinction between outside and inside is reinforced by the exterior grade “green materials”, such as soft finish concrete and historic brick walls. We responsibly took full advantage of the historic surviving elements, as evident in the effort of completely freeing the existing brick wall, and added a minimum amount of minimally designed fixtures. This is a space intended to last, where the elements will also get better with the patina of use.
Finally, the flag graphic, by combining the American flag with the Agnes b, signature, summarizes the brand attitude: truly French with strong ties to the New York history.
A 30’ long, sleek, stepped platform greets the visitor and at once separates and connects the front “project room”, at once a quiet lounge and a dynamic gallery, to the store proper. The required access ramp, located at the far end of the store, suggests a continuous looped circulation, which spontaneously identifies the men’s the Passage Femme and the Passage Homme. Along the platform, the metal and wood railing is reminiscent of both, SoHo’s fire escape enclosures and of balconies in . The two departments share the upper “terrace” and changing rooms, an in-house old-fashioned tailoring department , located on the lower level, reinforces the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and allows for the individualization of one’s wardrobe.
A dedicated sound system, multiple projection points, museum-like hanging tracks, suspended shelves and bars, trolleys and storage/seating units on casters, complete the truly flexible space.
The contrast between the thin cables and floating thick lacquered shelves like, the choice of rough and smooth finishes, parallels the Agnes B. aesthetic where sturdy fabrics can be found along side the sheer and precious. The color is sparse, changing with the transition of the day.
The industrial, authentic, responsible loft aesthetic and the blurred distinction between outside and inside is reinforced by the exterior grade “green materials”, such as soft finish concrete and historic brick walls. We responsibly took full advantage of the historic surviving elements, as evident in the effort of completely freeing the existing brick wall, and added a minimum amount of minimally designed fixtures. This is a space intended to last, where the elements will also get better with the patina of use.
Finally, the flag graphic, by combining the American flag with the Agnes b, signature, summarizes the brand attitude: truly French with strong ties to the New York history.
