Abruzzo Bodziak Architects have designed British clothing brand Maharishi’s first store outside of London.
The flagship store is situated in a landmarked Tribeca loft building on Lispenard Street, running between Broadway and West Broadway.
The two level store is a buildingwithinabuilding: the project preserves the space’s historic details by placing the new shop inside the existing interior, floating within it. “We left the existing space, with its historic façade and ceiling — as a found condition,” says architect Gerald Bodziak. “This highlights, by contrast, the new, olive green shop inserted within.”
A grid of wood cabinetry defines the insertion, marking out two levels: halfway through the space, a mezzanine levitates above the shop, creating an intimate room upstairs. This doubling (above/below; within/without) is a prominent theme inspired by maharishi’s perennial dualistic play with East/West, Nature/Technology, and Camouflage/HiVis.
The design of the store takes cues from formal Japanese gardens and military supply warehouses as well as historic shops of New York City — many of which were lined with cabinetry from floor to ceiling. Mirrors give the space visual depth as well as allow for views of the clothing from both sides; where mirrors are not present, the cabinetry is built to have a physical double.
The military olive green painted cabinetry is lined with pine plywood, left raw to expose natural graining that shares characteristics with the disruptivepatterning of camouflage that maharishi is known for. “In this way,” says architect Emily Abruzzo, “something straightforward — warehouselike shelving — is imbued with character much in the same way that the brand’s clothing reinterprets utility.”
Each section of cabinetry will be fitted with a Japanese customwoven stand cotton, which can be rolled down to convert from display to storage.
“Each material,” says Abruzzo, “defines the multilayered space: the historical layer gives way to the new cabinetry grid, which then gains additional depth with mirrors; the addition of a rolling textile softens the grid, which is then completed by the clothing.”
Abruzzo Bodziak Architects
Abruzzo Bodziak Architects (ABA) is an internationally recognized New Yorkbased practice with experience ranging from civic and cultural projects to homes and exhibitions.Through both projects and speculative investigations, ABA creates experiences that are rooted in place and time. Their work is defined by an innovative approach to contextuality, a relentless focus on detail, and a strong conceptual viewpoint. Established by Emily Abruzzo and Gerald Bodziak, ABA has received numerous recognitions, including the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, AIA New PracticesNew York, Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard, and Curbed’s Groundbreakers Award. A proponent of civic engagement, the office is included in New York City Department of Design and Construction’s Design Excellence Program.
MAHARISHI
Maharishi was founded in 1994 by Hardy Blechman with the great vision to create environmentally sound, fairtrade produced, longlasting, highquality, utilitarian clothing. The collections have always included the strong natural fibre hemp as well as organic cottons and upcycled military clothing. maharishi remains a privately owned company, and maintains a strong ethos of respect for nature while utilising the latest technology.
Photos by Naho Kubota
