Prada epicenter, New York - Tendencias de Moda

Prada epicenter, New YorkHillary Lobo Gregory Giammalvo Raymond Quinn1. & 2. (right) The Broadway entrance: the original cast iron façade was retained while the interior of the store was completely re-worked.IntroductionIn the late 1990s, as part of its strategy to protect brandimage, Prada, the international fashion house based inMilan, Italy, began to rethink the traditional design formatof its retail stores. The strategy, later developed with thechosen architects, came to include the idea that somePrada stores should break away from the traditional modelto become ‘epicenters’ - a reflection of the house’s cuttingedge products.These new stores, located in some of the world’strend-setting shopping districts, would sport a dynamic,exciting design and accommodate the latest that technologyhad to offer, all to enhance and support the shopping andcustomer service experience. Prada chose New York, LosAngeles, San Francisco, and Tokyo as the locations, andOffice of Metropolitan Architecture led by Rem Koolhaas(Rotterdam, Netherlands) as design architect for the USAstores and Herzog & de Meuron (Basle, Switzerland) todesign the Tokyo store. While the New York store would beKoolhaas’ first retail space, he had long been consideringthe meaning of shopping in the contemporary urbanenvironment 1,2 and the Prada experiment promised to bean ideal testing-ground for his theories.Prada decided to locate the New York store in the trendy,downtown neighbourhood of SoHo, already home to outletsof many of the world’s fashion elite, and eventually negotiateda lease in a prominent 19th century, cast iron façade,landmarked (listed) building on Broadway at Prince Street.The new store would have 24 000ft 2 (2230m 2 ) including thestreet level and cellar, and be the full depth of the city block.The rest of the New York design team was then broughton board. Architecture Research Office (ARO), New York,was appointed as architect-of-record responsible for thedetailed drawings and implementation phase of the project.Arup was asked to participate in the engineering consultantselection process and was awarded the mechanical,electrical, plumbing, fire protection and emergency lightingsystem design work.For projects in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Arup’s officesthere provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbingand fire protection system design, and for the Tokyo storeArup Lighting worked closely with Herzog & de Meuron.Store featuresThe defining feature of the store is the ‘wave’, a curving floorthat swoops from street level to basement, creating a largevolume space and giving shoppers an unencumbered routeto the product display areas of the cellar.Made of zebrawood, the wave functions as flooring, displayunit, bleacher seating, and architectural element. Duringshop opening hours part of this space is for shoe displayand fitting, but at other times it can become a performancearea, with patrons replacing shoes in the bleacher seatingand a retractable stage emerging on the facing side.3. The wave unites the street level with the cellar. Some shoppers observe from upstairs(street level), while others visit the shoe display on the bleacher portion of the wave (cellar level).The hanging volumes above contain merchandise and audiovisual equipment.THE ARUP JOURNAL 1/2003 21

Prada’s technology requirement was to support andenhance 21st century shopping. The fitting rooms, forexample, are entered through doors with Privalite glassthat transforms from transparent to opaque at the flick ofa switch. Once inside, the lighting is customer-controlledvia a dimmer, and the fitting rooms are also equipped with ITfeatures designed to excite. A ‘magic mirror’ - really a seriesof cameras and plasma screens - records customers tryingon their selections, so that they can see themselves fromthe front, back and side, with instant replay, if necessary.Upon customers’ requests, Prada will store these imageselectronically for use in future shopping experiences, evenonline. Also in the fitting room, shoppers can scan productcodes for additional product information.4 left: Shoppers use the wavesteps to move between streetlevel and the double and singleheight basement spaces.5 above: The wave’s stepsdouble as bleacher seating for‘stage’ events on the oppositeside, and merchandise display.6 below: The movable,hanging volumes allow manyspace configurations. The cranesystem track and the cableraceways can be seen in thepolycarbonate ceiling.One of the store’s dramatic features is a series of aluminummesh cages suspended from the ceiling. Imitating theupside-down skyline of a hanging city, these includehanging bars, shelving, and space for merchandise display,all fully wired for lighting, audiovisual, and IT. And theymove: the mobile displays are designed to provide flexibilityof floor space and can be aggregated to an area less than25% of the total floor area. The ‘handbag lift’, a cylindricalglass elevator, provides access to the ‘cellar level’. The cabcontains a display of Prada handbags, enabling patrons tobrowse while on board.THE ARUP JOURNAL 1/200322

7. The dressing-room walls containa range of IT equipment, all locally lit and cooled,to enhance the shopping experience.8 right: The movable (manual) display unitsin the basement display area operate like storagecompact shelving, allowing different configurations.Walkways cut into the shelving units allow shoppersto pass through the space.Engineering constraintsIn the 1980s, the building was renovated and converted tocommercial space. Systems for hot water, chilled water,smoke purge, outside air supply, perimeter heating, firealarm, and fire protection were installed at that time. Arupworked within the constraints of these existing systems, andthe additional constraint of sharing those systems with theother tenants, including a residence and the GuggenheimMuseum’s SoHo Annex, who required 24 hours per dayoperations. All reworking of the base building systems hadto be carried out without disruption to the existing tenants.Electrical systemsRealizing the goals of the design required a complexelectrical system to serve the ambitious lighting, audiovisual,IT, stage, and even mobile crane systems packed into thestore. It comprises a 1200 amp distribution switchboard andmultiple separate panels for lighting, audiovisual equipment,data equipment, mechanical loads, etc. The distributionsystem feeds over 450 branch circuits and uses over 8000ft(2440m) of wiring raceways for power, audiovisual, IT, andsecurity systems wiring. These raceways, located abovea translucent polycarbonate ceiling finish, were carefullysized and routed as they would be a visible feature of thestore’s ceiling-scape.The Prada epicenter is brightly lit, probably more than mostNYC stores. The initial electric demand for the design was20W/ft 2 (215W/m 2 ) but this was scaled back to 14W/ft 2(150W/m 2 ) after taking cost (a newly reinforced servicewould have been needed), schedule, and building spaceconditions into consideration. Designers employedapproximately 80 luminaire types with various voltages,integral/remote ballasts, and transformers for each. Eightdimming panels, each with an associated automatic transferswitch, transfer approximately 15% of the retail store lightingto emergency power to provide emergency lighting.The mobile merchandise displays - 17 hanging volumes atstreet level and six floor track-mounted units in the cellar -posed their own unique set of challenges. The hangingvolumes on the main floor use laser-guided, industrial grade,motorized cranes for mobility (designed and built byMannesman Dematic).Each hanging volume is self-contained for lighting, power,audiovisual, and IT, with power derived from four 208V,three-phase overhead busways on the first floor, viapower collectors that move with the displays. Lighting isradio-controlled, whilst the audiovisual and IT controls arewireless. The cellar displays are simpler, as they are manuallymoved. They derive power for lighting and audiovisual froman overhead, single-phase, three-wire bus system.‘Prada,the internationalfashion housebased in Milan,located their newNew York storein the trendydowntownneighbourhoodof SoHo.’Mechanical systemsThese high electrical demands create high interior coolingloads. The mechanical system designed by Arup provides200 tons of cooling using a combination of air handlers,fan coils, and computer room air-conditioning units.New and existing air-handling units, seven in total anddistributed as space and duct routes permit, provide atotal of 63 000ft 3 /min (30m 3 /sec) to the occupied partsof the store. The lighting control rooms, IT control room,and backstage audiovisual system control room are allindependently air-conditioned.The movable volumes create ‘blockages’ for air distributionand, given the large air volumes being moved through thespace, create the potential for draughts in certain areaswhile others remain stagnant. The high level, sidewall airsupply is designed to allow supply locations to be manuallyadjusted to the changing (pre-set) positions of the hangingdisplays. Furthermore, the air distribution system for themain space is designed for a noise level that is low for aretail space but required for the space’s other function as aperformance venue.The uninsulated cast iron and single-glazed façade had ahistory of interior condensation – and even the formation ofinterior icicles - in the winter. To avoid this in the new use,Arup included low-level trench heating and high level forcedair façade heating in the design. Additionally, the building’slandmarked status meant that the existing double doorsleading to the streets at both ends of the store could not bereplaced. Entrance vestibules (which would have providedsome protection from freezing New York winter draughts)were avoided in the design, for fear they would disrupteasy customer access. The constant customer trafficmeans that these doors are often open. Whilst exclusion ofdraughts is impossible, glass panel handrails at one sideand the peak of the ‘wave’ at the other help to break themup and keep much of them from falling into the bleacherseating of the wave.On both the cellar and street levels, much of the lighting ismounted behind either vertical or horizontal polycarbonatepanels, with some light fixtures and audiovisual equipmentbuilt into fully concealed pockets in the walls and ceilings.Various combinations of supply and extract air and localcooling units were used to ensure all the heat from thosedevices is vented from these pockets. Ceiling voids areused as general return air plenums to remove the heat.THE ARUP JOURNAL 1/2003 23

Other Prada projectsBeyond New York, a new Prada epicenter in San Franciscois planned and designed, and Arup also continues to workon another Prada store in Beverly Hills, California.The scope of services includes the structural, electrical,mechanical and plumbing engineering design of this threestorey-plus-basement, 22 000ft 2 (2040m 2 ) store on RodeoDrive, of which 18 000ft 2 (1670m 2 ) is column-free retailspace. A steel and glass vierendeel truss roof spans50ft (15.2m). The main spatial design feature is the ‘hill’stair/display form, the inverse of the New York store’s‘wave’. Taking advantage of the local climate, the groundfloor will open across the entire width of the building, withan ‘air curtain’ providing climatic separation between interiorand exterior. A wall panel will rise out of the basement atnight to secure the building. Brand + Allen Architects, Inc,is Arup’s client and Architect of Record for both projects,with OMA as design architect for both. In New York,Arup is working with Herzog & de Meuron and ArchitectureResearch Office on the design of a new 15 000ft 2 (1400m 2 )multi-media exhibition space for Fondazione Prada, on theground floor and basement of Prada’s US headquartersbuilding, on the west side of midtown Manhattan.10. Beverley Hills: The lateral system provides column-free spaceson each of the 46ft (14m) wide floors and has a steel vierendeel trussroof diaphragm. The building began construction in January 2003.9. San Francisco: a 10-storey flagship store providing37 000ft 2 (3440m 2 ) of retail and office space witha unique structural system of base isolation andperforated steel shear panels to resist lateral forces.Fire protectionArup also designed the fire protection for this project. Onechallenge came from the movable volumes, as their designwas not initially compatible with standard sprinkler systemdesign. To remedy this, the hanging volumes were loweredslightly, to provide code clearances for the sprinkler heads.The design of the cages themselves was modified to includehighly perforated tops and bottoms, allowing water to fallthrough them. The ‘handbag lift’ is also fitted with a gratingtop to allow adequate sprinkler coverage. Consideration wasgiven to sprinkler configuration, in view of the fact that thesprinkler system is permanent while the moveable volumelocations are not, and Arup used additional sprinkler headsto ‘triangulate’ each of the moving volumes.Additional fire safety measures include an automatic powerdisconnect to the cages and the Privalite fitting room doorsin case of a fire alarm.24 THE ARUP JOURNAL 1/2003ConclusionAfter an intense design and construction period ofalmost 24 months, the store opened to the public on14 December 2001.The engineering systems were successfully commissionedand since the opening have performed well throughout thefirst full seasonal cycle of operation.Shopper traffic is high, and shoppers seem to delight inthe space, both its architectural elements and its high techwizardry. Critical acclaim has been forthcoming as well.Just two days after the opening, The New York Times’architecture critic Herbert Muschamp sang its praises in areview ‘Forget the shoes, Prada’s new store stocks ideas’.Such diverse publications as Architectural Record andForbes, and the technology website CNET.com followed -examples of coverage that has gone beyond the architectureand fashion spheres to reach travel, financial, and technologypublications as well. The store has become the meetingplace that Prada and Koolhaas strove for, the epicentersurpassing the merely commercial to become a publicspace and a destination as well.References(1) KOOLHAAS, R, et al, Editors. Projects for Prada, Part 1,Fondazione Prada, 2001.(2) KOOLHAAS, R, et al, Editors. Project on the City 2:Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping, Taschen, 2002.‘Forget the shoes,Prada’s new store stocks ideas’:Herbert Muschamp,New York Times architecture criticCreditsOwner:PradaArchitects:Office of MetropolitanArchitecture / ArchitectureResearch OfficeStructural engineers:Leslie E. RobertsonAssociatesMEP and fire engineers:Arup Irina Bulbin, Ash Chawla,Arkady Fishman, Tania Flavia,Gregory Giammalvo,Jonathan Griffiths, Tom Grimard,Hillary Lobo, John Miller,Raymond Quinn, Joel Ramos,Anatoliy Shleyger,Marina Solovchuk,William Stevenson, Gina WallAudiovisual:Shem Milsom WiklieDisplay systems:OMAWallpaper:2x4Materials research anddevelopment:OMA, Panelite, Werkplaatsde Rijk, CollaborativeLighting:Kugler Tillotson AssociatesElevator:OMA, Chimetal, Selcom,Edgett Williams Consulting,Thyssen Krupp, IrosIllustrations:1: Raymond Quinn2-10: ©OMA

Prada epicenter, New York - Tendencias de Moda

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