Set in Stone

Dubbed Billionaire’s Row thanks to its deluxe high-rise residential properties, New York’s 57th Street has a new jewel in its string of luxury boutiques. Following a year-long renovation, jeweler Jacob & Co. (New York) added a cutting-edge sparkle to the tony retail corridor with its remodeled flagship and corporate headquarters located on 57th Street and Park Avenue.

The confluence of the aesthetic sensibilities of founder and famed jewelry designer Jacob Arabo, along with the vision of Belarusian-born architect Roman Vnoukov, Founder and Principal of Design Studio Romani (New York), brought this futuristic, spaceship-like environment to life.

Vnoukov’s design concept for the two-story, 4000-square-foot retail space was based on the consistent application of geometric patterns found in the facets of Arabo’s coveted jewelry and timepieces.

Passersby are immediately drawn to the luxury boutique by an eye-catching five-story façade differentiating Jacob & Co. from all other storefronts on the world-famous street. Geometric patterns are etched into glass panels on the building’s exterior as a nod to the jeweler’s bold design approach. Additionally, the street level features clear glass windows with three floating showcases allowing full visual access to the space.

Upon entering, visitors are drawn to an intergalactic-like showcase displaying the brand’s line of Astronomia watches. The timepiece features a 360-degree view of its internal movements and an ever-changing perspective of time’s incessant march through space. The display is equipped with a moving dome, state-of-the-art lighting and retractable trays to highlight Arabo’s new technological gem.

Two angles repeated in the geometric pattern were thematically applied throughout the space. Vnoukov explains, “I took, as a basis for the whole composition, only two angles, which are used in all nodes and interior objects, thus creating a mathematical code.”

Every detail, including perimeter, floorstanding fixtures and custom-made white leather chairs, was defined by these recurring angles. The same geometries also embellish the ceiling with a laser-like web of light and points of LEDs reflecting off a gleaming porcelain floor. High-gloss surface treatments in tones of beige, black, as well as an exotic zebra wood finish, add to the luxe environment.

The pièce de résistance is a glass floor leading to a private VIP room, revealing the natural bedrock that provides the foundation for the boutique and surrounding skyscrapers.

The view below references the precious stones and other geological components that work in harmony with Jacob & Co.’s technologies. It’s a true testament to the dazzling pieces of fine jewelry found in this otherworldly store that launches visitors on a journey into the 22nd century.  

PROJECT SUPPLIERS

Retailer
Jacob & Co., New York

Design and Architecture
Design Studio Romani Inc., New York

Audiovisual, In-Store Technology
Electronic Age Inc., New York

Ceilings, Furniture
D&Sign Srl, Torbole Casaglia, Italy

Flooring
Cosentino Group, Sugar Land, Texas

General Contractor
7 Hills Construction Corp., New York

Staircase
Amuneal, Philadelphia

Photography: Seth Caplan, New York