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    ANY designs New York showroom and research library for Vowels

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    New York studio ANY has designed the first physical retail space for streetwear brand Vowels, including an 18-metre-long “library” that holds a rotating collection of design books.

    The appointment-only showroom at 76 Bowery in Manhattan opened to coincide with the launch of Vowels’ debut “made in Japan” capsule collection.
    The Vowels showroom in Manhattan contrasts raw concrete and crisp white wallsCreative director Yuki Yagi worked with ANY co-founder Nile Greenberg to create a multi-functional environment that can display apparel, host events and offer customers access to a curation collection of books.
    The narrow space features exposed concrete surfaces and exposed services, contrasted by a minimalist white volume inserted on one side.
    The space includes a compact exhibition area called the Study that will feature rotating displaysAt the front, this box forms an exhibition space named the Study that’s visible from the street through the fully glazed facade.

    Hosting a rotating display of objects and artworks, the exhibitions will inform the collection of printed materials displayed in the store.
    The opening exhibition features Edo-period Japanese furniture sourced in the Yamanashi PrefectureA large wooden door swing over a hole in the clean white wall that allows access into the showcase, while the same richly grained material forms a sales counter at the other end of the showroom.
    Meanwhile, the rare books, magazines and periodicals are stored and presented within a long, glossy black case that stretches 60 feet (18 metres) through the centre of the showroom.
    A custom case filled with hundreds of rare design books stretches through the centre of the showroom”The curated selection, categorised by the Vowels team of researchers and designers, is organised using a system that follows the letters A, E, I, O, and U,” the team said.
    “This archive of printed materials is part of Yagi’s personal collection, serving as reference and inspiration throughout his career.”

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    Visitors are encouraged to peruse the collection, and use computers equipped with high-resolution scanners to make digital copies of materials.
    “The space at once recalls both a clean working environment and a comfortable reading room,” said the brand.
    Vowels’ debut capsule collection is displayed towards the rearTowards the back of the showroom is a wider area where a platform with bleacher seating and speakers built into mesh boxes is used for programming like film screenings, talks, panel discussions and music performances.
    Coffee service with beans sourced from Japan and the Vowels capsule collection are also accommodated in the rear space, while photos of the campaign shot by renowned Japanese photographer Takashi Homma are displayed alongside the library.
    Both the showroom and exhibition space are visible through the fully glazed facade on BoweryThe Vowels showroom borders the Lower East Side neighbourhood, where many streetwear brands have physical shops and showrooms.
    Other recent additions to the retail scene in the area include the yellow-hued Le Père store by BoND and the checkerboard-wrapped Awake NY space by Rafael de Cárdenas.
    The photography is by Dean Kaufman.

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      Omar Aqeel brings “sensory fantasy” to NYC bar Only Love Strangers

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      Cobalt blue surfaces line this bar and restaurant in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, designed by Brooklyn-based Studio Omar Aqeel as a “retro-futuristic oasis”.

      On the corner of East Houston and Allen streets, Only Love Strangers is a two-level cocktail lounge, restaurant and live-music venue that draws influences from 1960s and 70s surrealism.
      Guests arriving at Only Love Strangers are greeted at a cantilevered host stand within a limewashed spaceStudio Omar Aqeel blended references ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey movie and Eileen Gray’s E-1027 villa to the sculptures of Alexander Calder for the interiors.
      “A site of sensory fantasy – especially for discerning creatives – Only Love Strangers boasts a unique aesthetic that encourages endless discovery,” said the team.
      An arched opening leads into a bar area lined floor to ceiling with cobalt blue tilesGuests who enter the 6,300-square-foot (585-square-metre) space are greeted at a cantilevered, brushed-aluminium host stand.

      Straight ahead, through an arched opening, is a bar area enveloped in floor-to-ceiling cobalt blue tiles with blue grouting.
      Banquettes are upholstered in Verner Panton’s 1969 Black and White Optik textileA brushed-aluminium bar counter has rounded ends echoed by a light fixture above, and industrial-style bar stools provide seating for seven.
      Banquettes are upholstered in Verner Panton’s 1969 Black and White Optik textile, adding space for eight more guests.
      Cobalt blue continues as an accent on seat cushions in the main dining spaceIn the main dining space, left of the entrance, the walls are covered in earthy limewash that contrasts the bright blue cushions of built-in seats.
      “Here, a voyeuristic egress allows guests to peek into the subterranean lounge, while domed dining niches with blue crescent-shaped booths provide a more intimate dining atmosphere,” the team said.
      The private dining space is decorated with a mural inspired by the Bauhaus abstract gridThe private dining space for up to 10 guests is decorated with a wall-to-wall, hand-painted mural inspired by the Bauhaus abstract grid.
      With its own entrance, this space includes Ant chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, a vintage Makio Hasuike for Seccose metro dining table, and Maru pendant lighting by Ingo Maurer.

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      Cobalt blue reappears across the basement-level lounge, where almost every surface is dressed in the bold hue.
      Aluminium accents continue in this space too, along with a variety of playful lights that add a warm glow to the cool-toned space.
      The basement-level cocktail lounge is also lined almost entirely in cobalt bluePieces by New York-based artists and designers can be found throughout Only Love Strangers, including Max Simon, Blue Green Works, Yuyu Shiratori, Nico Anon, Superabundance, Gregory Beson, Adriana Gallo, Ash Allen, and Lucas Willing Studios.
      The lounge also offers a live music program of local jazz talent in the evenings.
      The lounge features aluminium furniture and hosts live music performancesThe lively Lower East Side neighbourhood is packed with bars and restaurants, such as Italian spot Una Pizza Napoletana with “deco meets industrial” interiors.
      Boutiques that have recently opened in the area include the Le Père menswear store by BoND and the Awake NY streetwear shop by Rafael de Cárdenas.
      The photography is by Ori Harpaz.

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      Yellow lighting illuminates Le Père store in New York by BoND

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      New York architecture studio BoND has used tubular lighting to create a bright yellow glow inside this men’s apparel store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

      The first flagship for cult fashion label Le Père occupies a 1,000-square-foot (93-square-metre) corner unit on Orchard Street.
      The flagship store for Le Père is largely painted white to allow the bright clothing to stand outUtilising the store’s large exposure to the street, BoND opted to create an interior that would be just as impactful from the exterior as it is once inside.
      “BoND designed the store to feel like a canvas, highlighting the design elements of the clothes while ensuring the space is a place that creators feel encouraged to spend time in,” the team said.
      A central column is encased in a translucent yellow boxThe firm’s approach was to leave the majority of the space white, allowing the boldly patterned clothing to stand out, then highlighting the fitting rooms using bright yellow lighting and surfaces.

      A structural column in the centre of the store encased in a translucent box is also fitted with lights to give off a sunny glow.
      Yellow lighting installed in the fitting rooms emits an inviting glowThis yellow aura is immediately apparent from the street and is meant to entice passersby to step inside.
      Neon lighting has seen a resurgence in retail and other commercial interiors of the past year, appearing everywhere from a Brooklyn cafe to a Calgary chicken shop.
      The tube lights were installed on either side of mirrors in the fitting rooms, which are also yellowAt Le Père, other elements like the tops of vintage Artek furniture are coloured red and black, to borrow from the street signs across the neighbourhood.
      Floor-to-ceiling curtains along the back wall create a soft and neutral backdrop for the apparel, which is displayed on industrial metal racks.
      Custom furniture pieces were designed by BoND and fabricated by Lesser MiracleWide-plank wood floors are laid across the main shop floor, which doubles as a space for gatherings, conversations, exhibitions and events.
      Custom furniture pieces including a curved bench were designed by BoND and fabricated by Brooklyn design and art studio Lesser Miracle.

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      “The design scheme blurs the lines between a store, a home and an art studio – a space that is both aspirational and livable, combining contemporary and historic elements as a playful strategy,” said the studio.
      On the exterior, a generous portion of the facade is given over to a giant billboard that Le Père will use to present its seasonal visual campaigns and artwork by the brand’s collaborators.
      A large portion of the facade is given over to a billboard to display the brand’s campaignsThe debut placement for Fall/Winter 2023 was titled And Sometimes Boys and influenced by the work of Korean visual artist Nam June Paik.
      BoND was founded by Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, who previously designed the global headquarters and showroom for the Brazilian brand PatBo in New York.
      The glow from the yellow lighting is designed to entice in shoppers on the Lower East Side. Photo by BoNDThe duo earlier overhauled an apartment in Chelsea for themselves, turning the dark, divided space into a light-filled home.
      The photography is by Stefan Kohli, unless stated otherwise.

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      Checkerboard walls wrap Awake NY store by Rafael de Cárdenas

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      Local architect Rafael de Cárdenas referenced lost landmarks of New York for the interiors of this streetwear store in the city’s Lower East Side.

      De Cárdenas worked with Angelo Baque, the former brand director of streetwear brand Supreme, on the design of a retail location for Awake NY, which Baque founded in 2012.
      Large sculptures are placed throughout the store, including a replica of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park UnisphereThe new home for the men’s clothing line at 62 Orchard Street is a homage to New York City’s fashion meccas of the 1980s and 90s, many of which have since shuttered.
      “Both De Cárdenas and Baque grew up in New York around the same time, which informed their design direction,” said a joint statement from the duo. “They built upon shared memories of lost landmarks in New York design and youth culture: Canal Jean, Antique Boutique, and Unique — and used them as reference points for the store identity.”
      Several elements leftover from the store’s previous occupants were retained, including carved wooden frames above the clothing racksThe store retains some of the features leftover from the family-owned suiting business that formerly occupied the space.

      Logos of brands carried by the previous tenants are still visible on the glass vitrines on either side of the entrance.
      The walls at the back of the space are covered in a checkerboard patternThese display cases now carry bright blue carpets and colourful portraits by local artist Alvin Armstrong.
      Other remnants from the store’s past include the original exterior signage, which reads “Mens Clothiers”, and carved wooden frames above the clothing racks inside.
      Other large sculptural elements include a giant plywood ‘A’New elements include the flooring, sourced from a school gym in Cleveland, and wood shelving affixed to the walls with ratchet straps.
      At the back of the boutique, the walls are covered in a checkerboard pattern that is repeated on a display stand closer to the centre.

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      Some of the industrial-style columns and areas of the metal-panelled ceiling are left exposed, while other structural elements are painted white or wrapped in mirrors.
      Murals by Larissa De Jesús Negrón adorn the fitting room area, and checkered chairs were sourced from B&B Italia.
      Plywood is also used to form storage and display casesThere are also several large sculptural pieces placed on the shop floor, helping to create a flow for shoppers.
      “The store is anchored by a replica of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Unisphere, originally built for the 1964 World’s Fair in Baque’s hometown of Queens, and a floor-to-ceiling Awake NY ‘A’ built from plywood in the centre of the store,” said the design team.
      The flooring was sourced from a school gym in ClevelandDe Cárdenas, who is one of the judges for this year’s Dezeen Awards, has designed a variety of retail projects during his career.
      His studio recently completed the Miami store for French shoe brand Nodaleto, with sci-fi-influenced interiors, and previously created a split-level bar in Nordstrom’s flagship store in Midtown Manhattan.
      The photography is by Adrian Gaut.

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