Blanc de Chine has built a name for itself by reinterpreting traditional Chinese clothing with an updated, modern sense of style.

So it only seems fitting that in opening a flagship on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street in New York, the modern apparel company sought a similar “tradition versus modern” store dynamic that directly correlated with the clothing.

“The overall aesthetic is Asian-modern,” says Russell Groves, principal of S. Russell Groves Architects (New York) which designed the 5650-square-foot store. “Rather than using cliché Chinese motifs, the design highlights a more important Chinese cultural tradition – a deep reverence of nature.”

And how exactly do you create such a study in contrasts? Inside the store, natural and organic elements harmonize with rigid geometric forms. Elegant walnut plinths run parallel to the length of the store and contrast with hard metal grid hang bars above. The juxtaposition continues with the use of variegated ebonized fir flooring, dark bamboo and deep-colored rift oak cabinetry inside the space’s white, geometric envelope.

Designers also reinterpreted traditional Chinese elements, such as bamboo, creating a vacuum formed acrylic “bamboo” placed in the side windows of the two-story space. Cast in a liquid acrylic, the hardened substance maintained the natural character of the bamboo so that the crenulations refract light, creating an ethereal effect. “We transformed the material into something innovative and modern,” says Groves.

Another striking element is the sculptural spiral staircase set in a bed of gray palm seeds, located just inside the store entrance. “Putting the stairs in the front of the store automatically signals to customers that there is a second level to explore,” says Groves.

The white organic sculpture also contrasts with the rectilinear geometric façade, underscoring the overall theme of the space, he adds.

Client: Blanc de Chine Flagship Store, New York – Kin Yeung , president; Vivianne Lau, general manager; Kawai Fong, manager; Michael Bouffard, facilities manager

Design: S. Russell Groves Architects, New York – Russell Groves, principal; Neal Beckstedt, design director; David Marini, project manager

General Contractor: E.W. Howell Co. Inc., New York

Outside Design Consultants: Cooley Monato Studio, New York (Lighting consultant); Rosini Engineering, PC, New York (MEP)

Display Units, Furniture: S. Russell Groves, New York

Flooring: Oregon Lumber Co., Lake Oswego, Ore.

Masonry: Port Morris Tile & Marble Corp., Bronx, N.Y.

Carpet: Saxony Carpet Co. Inc., New York

Lighting: RSA Lighting, Peachtree City, Ga.

Litelab Corp., Buffalo, N.Y.

Edison Price Lighting, Long Island City, N.Y.

Wallcoverings and Materials: Benjamin Moore Paint, Montvale, N.J.

Mannequins: ,New York

Photography: Adrian Wilson, New York