Means to a blend: Nespresso enlists Universal Design Studio for its NYC boutique

Somewhere between pre-ordering cold brew from your local café and making creamy espresso with the touch of a button, coffee became more of a quick, caffeine-laced fix than an art form.

But urging you to stop and smell the coffee beans is Nespresso’s recently opened boutique concept store on New York’s Madison Avenue. The second store of its kind — the first boutique opened in Cannes in May — Nespresso proves once again that coffee and espresso are more than instant gratification.

The espresso giants tapped architecture and design practice Universal Design Studio to create a space that appeals to all the senses. Drawing inspiration from New York’s design scene, the boutique features disc fixtures inspired by Met Breuer’s lighting and an exposed brick wall that resembles a classic Manhattan walk-up.

Spanning two floors, the 2,500 sq ft space walks you through the entire coffee experience, from sampling limited-edition flavours, to finding a blend that matches your palate, to popping an aluminum pod into a signature VertuoLine machine. Tying it all together are a series of Alpi wood tables adorned with used ground coffee. Down a flight of stairs (which are lined with plants and foliage found on coffee farms) lies the Lab Kitchen, where you can experiment with different recipes or enroll in a 45-minute class. Along with all the other Nespresso stores around the world, the Madison Avenue boutique also happily accepts used capsules for recycling. 

Nespresso also enlisted New York artist Daniel Rozin to create a piece exclusively for the boutique. Comprising 832 tiles of compressed aluminum left over from Nespresso’s pods, Rozin added four motion sensors to make the piece ripple as you move around the store. ‘I wanted to create an effect that had fluidity,’ says Rozin. 

If you’re in a hurry, you can grab a latte or pastry sourced from Aux Merveilleux de Fred at the Take Away Bar, but we have a feeling you’ll be in no rush to leave.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Nespresso website

ADDRESS

Nespresso
935 Madison Avenue
New York

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