New York, NY—June 26, 2006—Shawmut Design and Construction’s Retail Group, the New York-based division of the $575 million national construction management firm, recently completed the creation of Longchamp’s premier American store, La Maison Unique, in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. Headquartered in New York City’s fashion district, Shawmut’s Retail Group has completed flagship locations throughout the country for many of the world’s most prestigious retailers and was commissioned by Longchamp to bring its wealth of experience to this challenging, high-profile project.
The complex design elements of the store, and the fact that the building holds historical status in New York, required Shawmut’s close collaboration with London-based designer Heatherwick Studio and New York-based architect Atmosphere Design Group. The 9,000 square-foot store includes retail and gallery space on a second level and a newly constructed third floor addition which houses a VIP area and an amazing exterior patio space, rare in SoHo. The design of the interior is as innovative as it is striking. The small street level space is connected to the second floor gallery space by a beautifully imaginative 55-ton “steel landscape” stair designed to pull people in off the street. The steel ribbon steps, accented by curved glass panels, flow out of the floor with a fluidity that resembles billowing fabric. The one-of-a-kind stairway is accentuated by natural sunlight from a large overhead skylight. The fluid design of the store is carried up to the second level where ceiling panels peel down to the hardwood floor to showcase the French fashion designer’s handbags and accessories.
Shawmut’s Retail Group is a $120 million division that has constructed flagship stores throughout New York and across the country for some of the most prominent and recognizable brands in the world including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, De Beers and Apple. Shawmut has become a leading retail construction management firm because of its ability to consistently build complex and challenging projects while making the entire design and construction process a smooth, predictable and rewarding experience.
