Moving up: Arper opens its first New York showroom in a Soho loft

Although specialised in office-oriented furniture, the Italian company Arper has always put a cosy, welcoming spin on things. The same can be said about its new home in New York City – a swish showroom in a loft-like space in Soho.

Installed on the second floor of a statuesque 1904 building, Arper’s new showroom is spread over 4,000 sq ft. Large windows means the space is filled with natural light, while also offering glimpses of the building’s historic facade. To match Arper’s modern catalogue, the space itself is minimally designed.

Architect Solveig Fernlund says, ‘The concept for the showroom design was to articulate the original architecture of the space as much as possible. Columns, flooring, plaster walls and ceilings were restored and the space was opened up to create a showroom / gallery that feels both expansive and intimate.’

Suspended translucent fabric panels elegantly divides the space into four difference areas that allow Arper’s different ranges to be experienced separately as well as together.

Under the creative direction of the Spanish design firm Lievore Altherr Molina, longtime collaborators of the brand, Arper’s lifestyle-oriented offerings, such as Jean-Marie Massaud’s Steeve sofa and Simon Pengelly’s Nuur table, mix in seamlessly with its more technical ones, such as the Kinesit task chair – certainly a fitting representation of work-life balance.