The Store at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York

The Store at the Museum of Arts and Design required fixturing that not only did the delicate, beautiful merchandise justice, but also didn’t interfere with the existing architecture. Taking a cue from the building’s striking rounded windows, JGA’s design team installed a curved 40-foot-long and 8-foot-high translucent glass system for the project.

Custom-fitted glass shelves were designed to increase luminosity. With the merchandise lit both from above and below with LEDs, says JGA chairman Ken Nisch, “It turns the shelf into a virtual light box that maximizes the amount of light transference up through the shelf into the objects themselves.”

The translucent glass behind the shelves separates the merchandise from the large windows. During the daytime, this keeps customers from being distracted by street traffic while still allowing natural light into the space.

In the evening, when the store enjoys increased traffic thanks to its proximity to a popular subway entrance and the Time Warner building, the serpentine fixture creates an enticing display opportunity. When viewed from outside, the lighted objects project color and pattern onto the translucent glass background. The effect, says Nisch, creates “an impressionistic-looking painting.”

Project Participants:

Client
Museum of Arts and Design, New York — Jerome Chazen, chairman emeritus; Holly Hotchner, director; Nanette Laitman, president; Barbara Tober, chairman; Franci Sagar, vp, retail and brand development; Lauren Eldred, new building project manager

Design
JGA, Southfield, Mich.: Ken Nisch, chairman; Gordon Eason, creative director

General Contractor
Sciame, New York

Architect
Allied Works Architecture, New York

Outside Design Consultants
Arup, New York (mechanical and electrical engineers)
Illuminating Concepts, Farmington Hills, Mich. (lighting)

Accessory Displays
Amuneal, Philadelphia

Fixtures
National Mallfront, Phoenix
Fleetwood Fixtures, Leesport, Pa.

Flooring
Stone Source, New York
Interface, LaGrange, Ga.

Furniture
Suite New York, New York

Glass
Rudy Glass, York, Pa.
Fleetwood, Corona, Calif.

Lighting
Amerlux, Fairfield, N.J.
USA Illumination, New Windsor, N.Y.
Bruck, Tustin, Calif.
Raku, Markam, Ont.

Paint
Benjamin Moore, Montvale, N.J.
Tiger Drylac, St. Charles, Ill.

Showcase Pads
Johanna Daimer e.k., Munich, Germany

Signage/Graphics
Pentagram, New York

Solid Surface
Corian, Wilmington, Del.