Alexander McQueen
New York, New York
Stainless Steel, Glass and Plaster with Integrated Lighting Display Modules and Fixtures
Design/Engineer, Engineer, Value Engineer, Consult, Fabrication, Installation
When rock-star fashion designer Alexander McQueen landed his first U.S. store in New York City’s Meatpacking District, the space needed to be as otherworldly as his aesthetic. McQueen’s goal was to create an environment that was both futuristic and womblike. All displays and hangers had to appear as if they seamlessly grew like stalactites from the ceiling and floors. Working from Studio Architecture’s original concept combining architectural glass and metal displays, we developed a solution that would organically join the metal drops to the ceiling, using a white glaze that would match the texture of the other surfaces throughout. Then, we engineered the internal structure and integrated lighting system that illuminates the store from behind strips of frosted glass paneling around the top of each display module. Many of the hanging sections featured cut-out, illuminated shapes of all sizes, serving as flexible showcases for the changing merchandise and the main architectural lighting element for the space.
