Architectural Record focuses on retail projects.]]> https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2117 en-us http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18128 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:18:52 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18128-prada-sets-high-bar-for-construction-scaffolding-in-new-york-city-at-under-renovation-midtown-store http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18114 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:04:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18114-in-washington-dcs-georgetown-neighborhood-leckie-studio-transports-shoppers-to-another-realm http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18095 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:36:05 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/18095-as-apple-celebrates-50-years-record-reflects-on-the-evolution-of-its-stores kuthg@bnpmedia.com (Grace Kuth) http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17822 Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17822-diller-scofidio-renfro-creates-a-sculptural-facade-for-an-expanded-cartier-boutique-in-the-miami-design-district http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17296 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:05:31 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/17296-lot-ek-transforms-humble-cargo-containers-into-a-retail-oasis http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16860 Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:09:42 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16860-aidlin-darling-reimagines-a-cabinet-of-curiosities-for-googles-flagship-retail-outlet-in-mountain-view http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16849 Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:26:22 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16849-snapshot-in-designing-a-naples-shoe-store-local-studio-fadd-looks-both-forward-and-back http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16460 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:04:46 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16460-neri-and-hu-designs-a-tailor-made-boutique-for-a-burgeoning-fashion-label http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15816 Mon, 29 Aug 2022 06:05:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15816-at-montauk-sofas-montreal-showroom-a-challenge-to-the-conventions-of-preservation http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15330 Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:07:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15330-majimaya-confectionery-tool-shop-and-kama-asa-knife-shop-by-kamitopen-architecture-design-office Majimaya-Confectionery-Tool-Shop-01-B.jpg The Majimaya Confectionery Tool Shop. Photo © Keisuke Miyamoto http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15334 Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:05:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15334-marusho-kimono-shop-by-tsutsumi-associates Marusho-Kimono-Shop-01-B.jpg The folded collars of the embroidered kimonos displayed in the Marusho Kimono Shop’s showroom are echoed in the stepped ceiling. Photo © Misae Hiromatsu / Ruijing Photo http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15335 Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:04:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15335-lucid-motors-showroom-by-gensler Lucid-Motors-Showroom-01-B.jpg The Lucid Motors Showroom is revealed through pivot doors. Photo © Jason O’Rear http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14673 Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14673-maison-osaka-midosuji-by-jun-aoki At the heart of the Minnesota mall, pedestrians might gather, find respite, or take a selfie underneath the LEDs.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14200 Mon, 12 Aug 2019 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14200-nicollet-mall-in-minneapolis The design team created welcoming public spaces: a reading “room” (shown) with floor-lamp-style fixtures, and a two-block-long mirror-topped trellis outlined with light. Photo © John Muggenborg The design team created welcoming public spaces: a reading “room” with floor-lamp-style fixtures, and a two-block-long mirror-topped trellis (shown) outlined with light. Photo © John Muggenborg Street poles feature color-changing beacons, small floodlights, and sculptural lanterns. Photo © John Muggenborg Photo © John Muggenborg An underutilized subterranean site in New York City has been transformed into a flexible underground pedestrian street for food and shopping.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14103 Mon, 03 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14103-turnstyle-by-architecture-outfit Backlit storefront signage keeps the design cohesive. Small kiosks at the center are rented by niche vendors. Photo © Ty Cole Colored tile indicates areas where pedestrians and shoppers can pause, eat, and chat. Overhead, a spine of mirror and perforated metal screens—laser-cut to reference historic subwaytile motifs—conceal m/e/p components. Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Photo © Ty Cole Axonometric diagram Image courtesy Architecture Outfit Cross Section Image courtesy Architecture Outfit Image courtesy Architecture Outfit Rich references in Carbondale's new shop for the Italian luxury fashion house transport visitors back to Baroque Rome.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14031 Fri, 03 May 2019 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14031-dolcegabbana-boutique-by-carbondale A mirrored wall visually “completes” the vault of a men’s gallery, animated throughout by a dynamic digital fresco. Photo © Antoine Huot An ornate ground-floor salon is illuminated by a 22-foot-high skylight atop an intricately tiled dome. Photo © Antoine Huot The architects used a fully mirrored wall to create the illusion of expansive space on the arcadelike landing of a marble staircase—leading to the men’s salon on the upper level—making it appear double in size. Photo © Antoine Huot Lentzl@bnpmedia.com (Linda C. Lentz) In New York City, a salvaged remnant of the past engages a revitalized neighborhood and waterfront in Brooklyn.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13873 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:20:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13873-empire-stores-by-studio-v-architecture-and-s9-architecture 1902-Studio-V-S9-Architecture-Brooklyn-New-York-Empire-Stores-01.jpg The existing building was reactivated into a lively mixed-use development, which retains its historic character while inviting visitors and tenants to enter its new courtyard through open arches on the esplanade. Photo © Imagen Subliminal 1902-Studio-V-S9-Architecture-Brooklyn-New-York-Empire-Stores-02.jpg The existing building, captured here in 1924 as workers loaded it with coffee and other goods, was reactivated into a lively mixed-use development, which retains its historic character while inviting visitors and tenants to enter its new courtyard through open arches on the esplanade. Photo © Brooklyn Historical Society Located on a prominent site in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the $160 million project offers views of Manhattan and the famous bridge. Photo © Imagen Subliminal Stairs and catwalks cantilever from existing schist walls, sliced open to improve flow. New glass curtain walls fill in the gaps and reveal activities within. Photo © Raimund Koch The architects retained one bay of timber columns to support the facade on the courtyard, creating unique interior corridors that serve as lounge and meeting space for West Elm. Photo © Imagen Subliminal The company’s office features exposed structure and unique windows with an internal frame. Photo © Patrick Donahue Visitors can use the stair or a glazed elevator to access the rooftop extension of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo © Imagen Subliminal Image courtesy S9 Architecture Image courtesy S9 Architecture Image courtesy S9 Architecture Image courtesy S9 Architecture Image courtesy S9 Architecture A popular online brand's New York flagship store cultivates its social-media community.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13819 Tue, 08 Jan 2019 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13819-glossier-flagship-store-by-pro-and-gachot-studios Custom millwork encourages customer engagement with its rounded forms and rough hand-troweled surfaces, which lend to the store’s tactile quality. Photo © Devon Banks Photography A dramatic entry stair sets the stage for the brand experience. Photo © Devon Banks Photography Junya Ishigami floats a daring structural scheme for a new JINS Eyewear shop in Shanghai.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13723 Mon, 05 Nov 2018 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13723-jins-eyewear-shanghai-by-junya-ishigami While seeming to defy gravity, a series of cantilevered concrete counters provide a visually open, uncluttered environment within a new JINS Eyewear shop designed by Junya Ishigami at the Shanghai World Financial Center. Photo © Eichi Kano Photo © Eichi Kano Photo © Eichi Kano Photo © Eichi Kano Photo © Eichi Kano Dolce&Gabbana's London flagship by Tokyo-based Curiosity reflects a bold, irreverent formality.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13311 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13311-dolcegabbanas-london-flagship-by-curiosity A single entrance was created at the center, on axis with a spiral stone stair running up to the third floor. Photo © Alessandra Chemollo Curiosity’s renovations included opening the first-floor facade to the street and adding cast iron railings over the stonework to lend a domestic character. Photo © Alessandra Chemollo Contrasting colors also contribute to an illusory effect in jewelry rooms on the second and third floors, where mirrors lend an unreal thinness to black walls. Photo © Alessandra Chemollo Above the retail store, a three-story “atelier” features an elliptical stair formed of many varieties of black-and-white stone. Photo © Alessandra Chemollo Image courtesy Curiosity Image courtesy Curiosity A Spanish firm riffs on a company logo to create a graphic detail store in downtown Miami.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13209 Tue, 06 Feb 2018 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13209-in-sight-concept-store-by-ohlab A trompe l’oeil graphic on the store’s back wall creates an illusion that the tunnel-like space is spinning on into infinity—visually expanding the space and creating an exciting shopping experience for customers. Photo © Patricia Parinejad In-Sight, Miami Photo © Patricia Parinejad In-Sight, Miami Photo © Patricia Parinejad In-Sight, Miami Photo © Patricia Parinejad In-Sight, Miami Photo © Patricia Parinejad In-Sight, Miami Axonometric Diagram Image courtesy OHLAB In-Sight, Miami Floor Plan Image courtesy OHLAB In-Sight, Miami Sections Image courtesy OHLAB An online shoe retailer’s first brick-and-mortar store asserts a strong femininity.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12946 Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12946-josefinas-portugal-by-christian-lahoude-studio A rose-copper cast of a tree serves as the store’s primary focal point. The designers incorporated the ceiling’s existing wood slats into the interior to emphasize a feeling of lightness. Photo © Scott Norsworthy Located on a quaint boutique-lined block in the NoLita neighborhood, the storefront’s blue-gray color is a cool contrast to its coral and ivory interior. Photo © Scott Norsworthy The rose copper used for the signage and door handle is a unifying material, and was also fashioned into custom-made shoe stands and a tree-inspired mirror frame. Photo © Scott Norsworthy A VIP salon, articulated by a supple blush-colored banquette, is tucked away at the far end of the space, providing a place for shoppers to relax and take in views to the garden out back. Photo © Scott Norsworthy Image courtesy Christian Lahoude Studio A luxury brand’s richly detailed new shop reflects the spirit of its celebrated locale of Venice.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12940 Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12940-dolcegabbana-by-carbondale Behind the retained stone facade of the former bank, designed by Venetian architect Giuseppe Torres, the restored “welcome room” displays accessories for men and women on bespoke units fabricated from lacquered Noce Canaletto wood with polished brass, and gold silk velvet. Photo © Antoine Huot Within the 65-foot-long, 15-foot-high “canal room”, handbags are displayed on brass brackets against a gold leaf–mosaic tiled wall. Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot At its far end, the jewelry room has a black-marble mosaic floor, a deep-blue mirrored ceiling, and blue mosaic tiled walls inset with 24-carat gold stars. Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Photo © Antoine Huot Image courtesy Carbondale Image courtesy Carbondale Luxurious cashmere goods stand out within an ethereal space in Beijing.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12475 Sat, 01 Apr 2017 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/12475-erdos-by-gabellini-sheppard-associates As can be seen in the men’s collection, the gracefully arced shelves echo the undulating curves of the cast-plaster ceiling, which is embedded with linear LEDs. Photo © Paul Warchol The upper floor of the boutique is subdivided by delicate display assemblies and fabric scrim. Photo © Paul Warchol From the street, the facade presents a distinctive array of LED panels on which a video can be projected. Photo © Paul Warchol The interlocking bentwood open risers give the sculptural construction a floating, layered appearance. Photo © Paul Warchol The interlocking bentwood open risers give the sculptural construction a floating, layered appearance. Photo © Paul Warchol A plaster wall designed by Orazio De Gennaro Studio in a blurred-stripe pattern swerves toward the staircase on the first level. Photo © Paul Warchol A plaster wall designed by Orazio De Gennaro Studio in a blurred-stripe pattern swerves toward the staircase on the first level. Photo © Paul Warchol Image courtesy Gabellini Sheppard Associates Image courtesy Gabellini Sheppard Associates Image courtesy Gabellini Sheppard Associates Image courtesy Gabellini Sheppard Associates Although she’s scarcely 30 years of age, Gaia Repossi has been revamping her family’s century-old jewelry house, founded in Turin, since becoming creative director in 2007.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11921 Wed, 05 Oct 2016 01:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11921-repossi-place-vendome-by-oma The store’s upper level, where clients browse the jewelry collection at acrylic podiums, overlooks Paris’s famous Place Vendôme. The small space’s surfaces are completely clad in aluminum. LED strip lighting crisscrosses the ceiling. Photo © Cyrille Weiner Display windows make up one of the three faces of the kinetic billboard at street level. Photo © Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti Variously rotated circular cases in galvanized copper display a range of jewelry on the upper level, while a standing aluminum display greets visitors on the ground floor. Photo © Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti Variously rotated circular cases in galvanized copper display a range of jewelry on the upper level, while a standing aluminum display greets visitors on the ground floor. Photo  © Cyrille Weiner The staircase, sandwiched between the rotating billboard of the side walls, is a focal point. Its steps are formed from aluminum foam filled with resin that has the appearance of terrazzo. Photo © Cyrille Weiner A wall of thick, sliding resin cases separates the office from the salon-style space on the lower level, furnished with Donald Judd tables and chair. Photo © Cyrille Weiner The staircase, sandwiched between the rotating billboard of the side walls, is a focal point. Photo © Cyrille Weiner Image courtesy OMA Image courtesy OMA Image courtesy OMA Lentzl@bnpmedia.com (Linda C. Lentz) Just one block from the frenetic activity of Turin’s Porta Nuova train station, the Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange (or Via Lagrange) is emblematic of the urban revival propelled by the winter Olympics held here in 2006.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11916 Tue, 04 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11916-lagrange12-by-dimore-studio A vintage velvet slipper chair and Vico Magistretti Lambda sconces from the Dimore Gallery greet shoppers at the portal to Lagrange12’s multibrand area. Photo © Paola Pansini In an adjacent corridor, Dimore Studio’s evocative scheme combines mid-20th- century Stilnovo table lamps with a custom display console. Photo © Paola Pansini Marble-clad doorways emphasize an enfilade on the second floor. Photo © Paola Pansini Taking cues from the work of Louise Bourgeois, Oscar Tuazon, and Jean Prouvé, Moran and Salci created sculptural iron clothing racks with polished-steel details and centered them in the rooms for easy circulation and sight lines. Photo © Paola Pansini Green satin was used for dressing room drapes and bronzed-mirror-clad steamer-trunk displays. Photo © Paola Pansini The retail complex occupies the first two levels of a luxury residential development in a restored and renovated 18th-century palazzo that had until recently housed offices for the municipal police. Photo courtesy Lagrange12 An LC4 chaise longue, Stilnovo floor lamp, and Oueffice marble table (opposite) lend an urbane air to the renewed space. Photo © Paola Pansini Ground Floor Plan Image courtesy Dimore Studio Second-Floor Plan Image courtesy Dimore Studio The retail complex occupies the first two levels of a luxury residential development in a restored and renovated 18th-century palazzo, on a corner site, that had until recently housed offices for the municipal police. Photo © Piero Ottaviano The stairway to the second floor is clad in brushed stainless steel with softly burnished brass handrail. To light this interior space, Dimore Studio paired a custom floor-to-ceiling fixture at the landing with vintage sconces designed by Studio B.B.P.R. around the late 1960s. Photo © Paola Pansini Clad top and bottom with Ming Green marble from China, the apartment-like corridor at the top of the stairs features an iron clothing rack designed by Moran and Salci that was inspired by the works of Louise Bourgeois, Oscar Tuazon, and Jean Prouvé. Photo © Paola Pansini An audacious use of pattern fades into a subtle backdrop. On the floors, sections of carpet, resin, and black granite converge in large geometric swaths. Overhead, a series of Mondrianesque light fixtures—panel compositions made of polished and oxidized steel, brass, black-painted iron, colored glass, and backlit translucent acrylic—conceal down- lights and illuminate sales areas with both ambient and direct light. Photo © Paola Pansini Draped with green satin, the ladies dressing room is within a mirrored box that reflects the surrounding surfaces of Ming Green marble, brushed stainless steel and brass. Photo © Paola Pansini The men’s dressing room is lined with green satin draperies and has a luminous back-lit ceiling. Photo © Paola Pansini A settee in both the mens’ and women’s shoe areas is upholstered in a Rubelli textile—turned wrong side out by the designers to exploit its metallic threads. The black-painted iron displays feature under-lit, green-satin-wrapped shelves. Photo © Paola Pansini Founded in 1879 by German entrepreneur Guillermo Krug, the Relojería Alemana’s first jewelry store still stands on a corner of the Carrer del Colón, amid the labyrinthine tangle of cobbled lanes and alleyways that make up the quaint historical district of Palma de Majorca, Spain.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11924 Sat, 01 Oct 2016 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11924-ra-office-by-ohlab A long, mirrored-stainless-steel wall blurs the boundaries between the workspace and more social areas, inviting staff to bring a variety of tasks into these informal areas. Photo © José Hevia The architects concealed 215 square feet of storage space, restrooms, and other workplace necessities behind ribbed oak wood panels that line the walls of the niches. Photo © José Hevia Image courtesy OHLAB The communal worktable emphasizes the brand’s status as a family business, with staff and directors working as a team in a close-knit environment. Photo © José Hevia The entrance cum waiting area features Thonet armchairs and a Santa & Cole Tripode G5 standing lamp, which contribute to a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. Photo © José Hevia Image courtesy OHLAB Apple takes its futuristic wares to a stately building in an historic neighborhood.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11488 Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11488-apple-store-by-bohlin-cywinski-jackson Apple Store The classical-style bank building at 940 Madison Avenue in New York houses Apple’s revolutionary products. Its limestone exterior has been restored with such deportment it is hard to tell things have changed. Photo © Peter Aaron / Esto Apple Store In February 1923, RECORD published photos of the classical-style bank building at 940 Madison Avenue in New York. Apple Store The original banking room in 1923. Apple Store The proportions and scale of Apple’s oak display tables replace check-writing stands and tellers’ windows. Photo © Peter Aaron/ Esto Apple Store Working with dark spaces downstairs, the architects left the vault, separating it from the accessories room and lower lobby with the restored security screen. Photo © Peter Aaron / Esto Apple Store They inserted shallow coffers and smaller circular chandeliers in the sales space. Photo © Peter Aaron / Esto Apple Store Upstairs on the main floor the restored windows admit daylight on the east and south walls. Photo © Peter Aaron / Esto Apple Store Image courtesy Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Apple Store Image courtesy Bohlin Cywinski Jackson A tiny Parisian boutique devoted to a new line of nail polish by Christian Louboutin beckons to the beau monde.

]]> 1505-christian-louboutin-beauty-store-pierre-yovanovitch-interior-architecture.asp Sat, 16 May 2015 12:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7546-christian-louboutin-beauty-store Christian Louboutin Beauty Store A hexagonal opening in the ceiling gives a glimpse of the floor above.   Photo © Julien Oppenheim Christian Louboutin Beauty Store A miniscule shrine opens off the 19th-century arcade. Inside, “staff” (­a mixture of plaster, glue, and fiber) shapes the spaces.   Photo © Julien Oppenheim Christian Louboutin Beauty Store Up the stairs, edged by a looping moderne bannister, is a curved boudoir-like setting for beauty treatments. A video of passing clouds on the second-floor ceiling can be seen through the hexagonal opening.   Photo © Julien Oppenheim Christian Louboutin Beauty Store Inside the shop, the architectural moods change: the more angular ground floor features a cashier’s desk and shelves of rough oak.   Photo © Julien Oppenheim Christian Louboutin Beauty Store Image courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch Interior Architecture Christian Louboutin Beauty Store Image courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch Interior Architecture Christian Louboutin Beauty Store Image courtesy Pierre Yovanovitch Interior Architecture The rich materials of a flagship boutique mirror the quiet luxury of the clothing brand.

]]> 1505-maison-ullens-paris-oma.asp Sat, 16 May 2015 12:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7547-maison-ullens-paris Maison Ullens Paris Along rue de Marignan, a quiet street in Paris, is the OMA-designed flagship boutique for Belgian clothing brand Maison Ullens.   Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris The architects employed diverse materials including onyx, cream-colored leather, and brass, with which they framed the openings.   Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris Maison Ullens ParisOMAParisCustom wood curtains were handmade by artist Elisa Strozyk for the boutique’s front windows.Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris Custom wood curtains were handmade by artist Elisa Strozyk for the boutique’s front windows.   Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris Through the glazed main door, an onyx wall in the foyer greets visitors and shows off the brand’s latest collection. The sales spaces unfold beyond.   Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris A private fitting room tucked into a corner of the store is lined in curved teak (prefabricated in Italy) and plush carpeting.   Photo © Kevin Mak Maison Ullens Paris Image courtesy OMA