Nordstrom Men’s Store at Columbus Circle

3 Columbus Circle, Midtown NYC — 2018

OVERVIEW

Nordstrom was expanding its flagship development in Midtown NYC and wanted a space for a Men’s Store that would establish an inviting and immediate presence in the neighborhood. Our team walked the shell space, worked to understand the physical infrastructure that needed to remain in place and quickly developed design concepts that maximized the physical space and flow through the three floor levels. Light filled entries welcome visitors off Broadway, and prominently positioned stairs and elevators move light and people vertically through the store. We also designed and deployed diffuse reflective materials at strategic locations, visually extending each space while re-presenting the animated movements of the city.

The Nordstrom team needed to maximize the physical space available and encourage visitor flow from the three entries along Broadway down one level, around a building office entry and up one level. Working closely with CallisonRTKL, we created intuitive circulation throughout, prominently positioning feature stairs that moved both people and light vertically. Diffuse, reflective materials were located in the deeper areas of the store to provide a heightened sense of brightness and activity, and these surfaces were selectively used for display. The lower and upper levels had very limited vertical space, with many ceiling areas requiring extensive maintenance access. We designed shaped, flowing ceiling geometries, and diffuse, removable reflective panels to create generous spaces, maximizing the daylight available in each area and integrating details and materials with the main flagship store across the street.