Dezeen Magazine

Saks Fifth Avenue opens Downtown Manhattan outpost by Found

A branch of luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue has opened close to the World Trade Center site in New York, with interiors designed by London studio Found.

The 85,000-square-foot (7,900-square-metre) store invited customers through its doors for the first time last week.

Located in the renovated Brookfield Place shopping centre, between the World Trade Center and the Hudson River, it accompanies Saks' flagship on Fifth Avenue, which opened in 1924.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

Found director Richard Found worked with the Saks team to create a visual language that runs throughout the different departments.

"The design combines an impressive spatial arrangement, crisp detailing and understated palette with a series of dramatic elements, all referencing the brand's heritage and reflecting its unique location," said Found.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

In the centre sits a two-storey cylindrical tower finished in white plaster, which houses the escalators.

Rings of cove lighting in the ceiling emanate concentrically from the drum-shaped structure, while curved display cases and counters also follow the same lines.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

Around the outside, radiating brass fins form a "veil" and act as a secondary store front.

The metal is also used for clothing rails and display units inside, amid a muted colour scheme of creams and beiges.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

Level one houses beauty, jewellery, designer and handbag departments, while apothecary and fragrance brands run around the perimeter within recesses finished in grey polished plaster.

On level two, a 70-foot-long (21-metre) mirrored sunglasses display leads customers to the shoe department.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

White terrazzo flooring is installed on both levels, broken up by areas of inset carpet. Seating is by Danish brand Hay and tables are from American company Knoll.

"Saks have considered many touches to make the experience more fluid and appealing for the customer," said Found.

Saks Fifth Avenue opens new Brookfield Place outpost by Found

"We have ensured that the architecture and design reflects the need to create a truly interactive and immersive retail experience."

Found has worked on a variety of high-end interior projects, with clients including Selfridges, DKNY, Harrods and Givenchy.

Other studios that have recently completed department store interiors include Nendo, which designed a new retail space in Bangkok, and OMA – which worked on the restoration and transformation of a Venetian palazzo.

Photography is by Jason Schmidt.