European luxury tile, kitchen and bath products manufacturer Porcelanosa (Castellon, Spain) plans to renovate the Commodore Criterion building in New York to house Porcelanosa’s US/NYC flagship showroom. The space is scheduled to open in spring 2014.
“As a staple of New York's Flatiron district for years, the Commodore Criterion is the ideal location for Porcelanosa’s new flagship showroom as the neighborhood is the epicenter of New York's architecture and design community,” says Manuel Prior, U.S. branch director for Porcelanosa. “The new building also represents Porcelanosa’s growing presence in the U.S., and firm commitment to quality, innovation and design.”
The company purchased the Commodore Criterion in 2012 and has selected Foster + Partners (London) to refurbish the 18,000-square-foot, six-story building. The new space will include a showroom with full-scale vignettes showcasing Porcelanosa’s product portfolio. Another floor will be used as a design library with more than 1000 references of tiles, mosaics, stones, hardwoods and other fine materials.
“The design will create new visual connections vertically through the building and will introduce a greater variety of spaces, with a series of dramatic interlocking levels,” says Norman Foster, chairman and founder, Foster + Partners. “The design will restore historic aspects of the exterior and create a new interior experience of large-volume show room spaces – all within the context of a sustainable agenda.”