Longchamp's revamped La Maison Unique demonstrates a fresh approach to sustainability
Retail's golden rule has always been that the ground-floor storefront is the only option. However, in some cases, it turns out that subsequent higher floors offer the most square footage for retail selling. Such was the case for French accessories giant Longchamp when they purchased a building at 132 Spring Street over 20 years ago. They scored a design coup by enlisting world-renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick of Little Island and The Vessel fame, among other masterpieces, as the English designer is not known for retail designs. As the innovative design he created for the New York store dubbed "La Maison Unique" approaches the 20-year mark, Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Heatherwick sat in conversation at the store's penthouse floor and shared with an audience the journey of the distinctive store and its new look. CEO Cassegrain walked FashionNetwork.com through the space, pointing out the design changes.
"We had several goals to make the store brighter, so we removed some of these wooden wall units and set them back from the windows to create more natural light as these units are beautiful from behind too," Cassegrain said as he pointed to massive corner windows, now adorned with a neon green logo.
"We wanted people to flow more freely. So, we've opened the space toward the street and the daylight," he added. The floors were sanded to reveal a light blonde finish, and new lighting and display hooks using magnet technology were also installed.
Heatherwick further designated the space in the roughly 4,000-square-foot floor by covering the classic architectural columns typical in SoHo's cast-iron buildings with a green carpet that oozed out into a green-patterned circular rug, designating sections of the space. Custom consoles and movable shelving, like a layered Lazy Susan, were used to display products.
Side chairs, curved "croissant" couches, and a Gio Ponti side table are among the new furniture that inhabit the spaces. There are also bits of vintage bric-a-brac, including vintage leather-covered pipes to hold tobacco in a nod to the brand's origins, all a visual feast for mid-century modern lovers.
As lovely as it is, Cassegrain quickly points out that the concept is just for New York. "It's made for here; the scale and location make it unique and special and meant to stay here. There is no intention to duplicate it," he continued.
The revamp, which is less wasteful and has less negative environmental impact than a complete gut and redo, is a result of the brand's retail reset post-COVID. "We've been putting more emphasis on welcoming the customer, making the space geared toward the customer rather than designed to solve our internal problems.
Some constraints don't exist anymore, which has allowed us to give more space to the customer, create places that can be enjoyed, which is also why we have brought in some artwork," Cassegrain explained, pointing out a Japanese ceramic sculpture on a coffee table. "In the past four or five years, we've redone most of our stores worldwide. So this one is being redone too, but in its own unique way, with the same brand DNA and principles but still on brand," he added.
During the chat, Heatherwick recalled the design problems that needed solving when he entered the space with a small first-floor footprint. "We had to design a staircase that wasn't too imposing or unwelcoming. Even the balustrade was carefully considered, not only for safety concerns but also because glass panes define space with harsh edges and reflections. Hence, we made a giant 'toaster' to melt this acrylic panel, which gives a softer edge," Heatherwick told the crowd of the infamous green 'lanes' that flow upwardly in a curvy pattern to the second and third floors on the open-design staircase, which is bathed in light thanks to the hole in the ceiling the designer said he made to let in the light.
Heatherwick joked that discussing how the building presented design challenges and how they worked it out "felt like a therapy session" and added the numerous meetings with the various multi-generation family members and teamwork, which he remembered fondly.
To celebrate the brand, Heatherwick and co. hosted a reopening party attended by some of the buzziest VIPs currently, such as Emma Roberts, Ego Nwodim, Natalia Dyer, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Isabela Merced, and more, a DJ set by Amrit Tietz and Mona Matsuoka, and a specially choreographed dance performance inspired by the space from Jacob Jonas The Company.
To manage the new opening and share news with the public, event coordinators tried to get a permit to block a traffic lane, only to discover it was just a sliver of the street, to their surprise. It's the same for guests arriving at the compact ground floor of the 8,600-square-foot space in SoHo.
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