Paris Springs Eternal

PRINTEMPS, THE UPSCALE Parisian department store whose name translates to “springtime,” has joined the ranks of New York’s roster of luxury retailers. Unlike its midtown competitors Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales, Printemps planted its flag in the canyons of Lower Manhattan’s rapidly expanding Financial District.

📷: GIEVES ANDERSON FOR PRINTEMPS NEW YORK

In its first foray across the Atlantic, the French retailer set up shop in a landmark art deco skyscraper at 1 Wall St., spanning 55,000 square feet across two floors. A destination flagship, the environment offers a timeless blend of lifestyle merchandising and digital engagement in what appears to be an opulent Parisian apartment.

Designed by architect Laura Gonzalez, Printemps New York is a comingling of French aesthetic sensibilities and historic New York architecture and art. “We have been deeply inspired by the legacy of Printemps – its mosaics, stained glass, patterns and original art – but we are in New York,” says Gonzalez. “This is a new story. It is a city where anything is possible.”

The Red Room features an expansive mosiac designed in 1931 by muralist Hildreth Meière.

While maintaining the integrity of the art deco architecture, the store presents a wide range of beauty products, high-end fashion, lifestyle groupings and a curated offering of fine dining options in an elegant series of captivating experiences. The in-store journey offers sights like fanciful sculptures, lush couches, sparkling lamps and dreamlike floral wallcoverings. In this transformative environment, visitors are guided through strategically positioned and themed rooms, including the Beauty Corridor, the Playroom, the Sneaker Room, La Garconnière and the Fragrance Room – and not to be missed is the architectural splendor of the Red Room.

A walkway from the Beauty Corridor serves as a seamless link between the past and present, leading visitors to the building’s historic tower and spectacular Red Room. This art deco gem, once the lobby of the historic building, now serves as center stage for the retailer’s high-end shoe collection. The awe-inspiring space features a 33-foot-high, floor-to-ceiling mosaic arranged in an ombré pattern, going from deep oxblood red to a lighter shade. Designed in 1931 by artist Hildreth Meière (one of the preeminent muralists of her time), the mural is just a part of the Red Room’s ambience, which visually represents the confluence of a bygone era and contemporary merchandising.

Another overall highlight is a melding of the human element with digital, as seen through Printemps’ wayfinding system designed by experiential agency L+R. Technology needed to be subtle but strike a balance between functionality and aesthetics. “A significant challenge was establishing a seamless connection between the physical and digital retail environments to ensure omnichannel consistency,” says Mary Jane Puangco, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Printemps America. “This required meticulous planning, development and testing to guarantee a unified customer experience.”

The overall store environment is an ethereal stroke of visual inspiration combined with technological features that enhance the physical experience without overwhelming it. An in-depth digital platform and strategically positioned wayfinding seamlessly guides visitors in a balanced and harmonious manner through this brick-and-mortar fantasy – an artistic interpretation of the creative sensibilities of two iconic fashion capitals.