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Koolhaas designs for Prada in SoHo - Front Page - Brief Article
Art in America, April, 2002 by Stephanie Cash
On Dec. 15, after 1 1/2 years of construction, Prada's long-awaited flagship store in Manhattan finally opened in SoHo at the corner of Broadway and Prince St., in the space formerly occupied by the Guggenheim Museum SoHo. The 22,000-square-foot, two-level space was designed by Rem Koolhaas and is notable for its distinctive "wave" element, a curving extension of the main floor that dramatically descends to the store's lower level and hides a performance stage in its flank. Facing the wave is stadium seating that can accommodate up to 200 people and also serves as a shoe display. With a reported $40-million price tag and a high-profile architect, the store's design, as important as the goods inside, has been drawing curious crowds since opening day. Koolhaas is also working on designs for Prada stores in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The entire space is an exercise in versatility. At street level, movable cagelike display racks hang from the ceiling on industrial tracks. Wallpaper covering the entire north wall will be changed with each collection. On the lower level, most of the clothing is shown on movable wall units in a series of relatively cramped spaces. Throughout the store are rubbery seat cushions, stacked or spread out, that resemble cast resin works by Rachel Whiteread. A cylindrical glass elevator, 12 feet in diameter, located at the front of the store contains sleek metal seating which functions as a display area. The dressing rooms are a particularly notable feature. High-tech sliding glass doors are controlled by foot pedals, one of which instantly changes the glass from transparent to translucent to ensure privacy. Once inside, customers can see themselves in mirrors, and check out their rear view via a live video feed.
Soon after the store's opening, environmentalists protested the architect's use of zebrawood, a rare tropical wood with distinct striations; Prada issued a statement that the material would not be used again. With the dearth of art galleries remaining in SoHo, architecturally interesting spaces like Prada's are essential to preserving the area's artistic character.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Brant Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group
