Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus has long been known for its luxury, fashion apparel, world-famous designers and unique gifts. The new three-level, 150,000-square-foot location at the Grand Court of The Shops at Willow Bend (Plano, Texas) introduces to this mix a “comfortably modern” updated store design.

Charles Sparks Co. (Westchester, Ill.) set out to strengthen and revive the sense of bold, contemporary style that Neiman Marcus has made its own. The concept uses modern design principles and broad, planar surfaces to display contemporary art. Low screen and translucent walls create backgrounds, while maintaining the illusion of space. An open, three-level escalator atrium extends upward to a set of divided and patterned clerestory windows. Neutral colors and textures combined with accents of tinted, polished plasters, mother-of-pearl countertops, custom area rugs, hand-made art glass walls and Murano glass light fixtures create a rich and unique look. Gift Galleries, a new concept for presenting home décor, china, crystal, silver and tableware, stands out among individualized room settings. On opposite ends of the top floor, natural light from small skylights bathes the Gift Galleries and Children’s departments, while a mix of contemporary furniture and fixturing adds personality throughout. Other new features of the Willow Bend store are the first Armani Collezioni Boutique in the U.S., spacious fitting rooms — designed for speed, comfort and convenience — a first-floor NM Café, a top-floor Mariposa restaurant, a personal shopper salon and a VIP area in the Men’s shop. Client Design Team: Neiman Marcus, Dallas — Cliff Suen, vp, properties; Collette Ventrone, vp, store planning and design; Chris Lebamoff, director of store planning and design; Julia McCullough, store planning project manager; Victor Molaschi, Jr., owners’representative

Design Team: Charles Sparks Co., Westchester, Ill. — Charles Sparks, principal; Donald Stone, vp, project manager; David Koe, senior project designer; Steve Prosser, project coordinator; Fred Wiedenbeck, colors and materials Lighting Consultant: Integrated Lighting Concepts, Westlake Village, Calif.

Suppliers: Suss Woodcraft Intl., Lasalle, Que., Builders Furniture Ltd., Winnipeg, Man., Edron Fixture Corp., Miami (fixturing); Bentley Mills, City of Industry, Calif., Monterey Carpets, Santa Ana, Calif., Masland Contract, Mobile, Ala. (carpeting); Jack Lenor Larsen Carpets, New York (area rugs); Emser Intl., San Francisco, Mid America Tile, Munelein, Ill., Innovative Marble, Hauppauge, N.Y. (stone flooring); Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, Seattle (decorative tiles); Buell Hardwood Flooring, Dallas (wood flooring); Bacon Veneer, Hillside, Ill., Ventec Technologies, Chicago (wood veneers); Elizabeth Dow Ltd., New York, Blumenthal, New York, Innovations in Wallcoverings, New York, Surfaces, San Francisco, Studio E, New York (wallcoverings); Rudy Art Glass, York, Pa., Skyline Design, Chicago, UltraGlas, Chatsworth, Calif., Bendheim Glass, Passaic, N.J. (decorative glass); Southwest Progressive Plaster, Dallas (special finishes); Donghia, New York, Knoll, New York, J. Robert Scott, Los Angeles (fabrics/textiles); Dakota Jackson, New York, Knoll, New York, Nancy Corzine, Los Angeles (furniture); Baldinger, Astoria, N.Y., Sirmos Lighting, New York, Donghia, New York (decorative lighting)

Photography: Charlie Mayer Photography, Chicago