Z Gallerie

Z Gallerie, Beverly Hills, Calif.
First place Specialty Store, Sales Area Under 10,000 Square Feet

When Z Gallerie took over a space that previously housed a stationery store in Beverly Hills, the lifestyle retailer wanted to create an art gallery-like setting for its merchandise lines, which include furniture, artwork, lighting, textiles and decorative accessories.

Much of the renovation work involved opening up the space’s mezzanine and upper levels. “The mezzanine in the previous store was walled off and used for storage,” says Michael Fant, associate at Herschman Architects (Cleveland), designer of the renovated space. “We stripped that space to its basic structure and exposed it. In addition to freeing up more floor space, that also provided visual depth and created a more open and light environment.”

The stationery store contained two attics that concealed a large space. “Again, we stripped out the non-structural elements, which exposed an original bow-truss structure with a wood-planed deck,” Fant notes.

The store’s main floor features a central cashwrap that’s designed to mimic the store’s display cabinetry. Freestanding low partitions are positioned sparingly throughout the space, and serve to organize the store into departments without compromising the open feel of the environment.

To give passersby maximum visibility into the space, the store façade’s stucco piers were taken down to bare steel. That black metal and projecting sign channel also provide a raw texture in keeping with Z Gallerie’s image.

Client: Z Gallerie, Gardena, Calif.
Joseph Zeiden, president/owner
William Silveira, vp, merchandising
Leon Goetz, visual director

Design and Architect: Herschman Architects, Cleveland
Michael Fant, associate
Jeff Brummel, project manager

General Contractor: Triumph Builders, Tucson, Ariz.

Engineering: McHenry & Associates, Cleveland (mechanical, electrical and plumbing)
Thorson Baker & Associates, Richfield, Ohio (structural)

Lighting: Weidenbach-Brown, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Millwork: Lloyd’s Custom Cabinetry, Harbor City, Calif.

Paint: Pratt & Lambert, Cleveland

Signage: Superior Electrical Advertising, Long Beach, Calif.

Wallcoverings: Gilford, Jeffersonville, Inc.

Photography: Lawrence Anderson, Los Angeles