Directory

Retail Directory 2009 

Armani

New York

Giorgio Armani never fails to impress. His latest offering – in the heart of New York’s Fifth Avenue – is a massive 43,000-sq-ft retail wonderland. Doriana and Massimiliano Fukas, the Italian architects who were behind the brand's Hongkong Chater House and Tokyo Ginza Tower flagships, have created a striking four-storey structure of glass and metal. This being the first concept store to house all the Armani lines – including Casa Armani and EA7 active wear – under one roof, the fluid space deliberately provides uninterrupted passage between each collection. Alluring curves dominate whether in the display units, the hanging units, desks or even the armchairs. Designwise, the various floors are united by a sinuous steel staircase—an architectural sculpture that reminds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim—that leads up to the bar and restaurant where contemporary Italian fare is on the menu. For Armani idolators, this is the new temple.

717 Fifth Avenue
New York