Issey Miyake 79th Street
New York, NY, USA
2005

The design of Issey Miyake’s store at 79th St is based on maximum utilization of the openings in the facade, left completely open to capture natural sunlight while offering passersby a complete view of the interior.

The store’s compositional elements are characterized by neutral colors except for the curtains on the fitting rooms, which are personally chosen by the fashion designer according to the season for different tones and textures. The neutrality of the custom designed shelves and tables allows the clothes to dominate. Steel rods support display counter tops of Lumasite, a thin, lightweight fiberglass screen that reflect light with different effects when used horizontally or vertically, while chromium plated spirals wrap around the steel supports to create the illusion of large springs in a play of simulated gravity.

A small stockroom composed of the same materials as the other furnishings was inserted in a wall cavity behind the cash register.  Its function is concealed by a series of shelves with the same translucent quality that covers its exterior. The cabinets, shelves, and parapet of the staircase leading to the main stockroom below are all created of Lumasite and also utilized as a vertical surface that creates an effect of semi-transparency. The white walls and ceiling and the flooring in light-colored stone slabs complete the composition, creating an airy and bright atmosphere.

Credits:

Design Team: Toshiko Mori, Wendy Cronk

Photographs © Paul Warchol