CHALLENGE: In the heart of the meat packing district in New York, turning a meat storage space into a luxury flower shop
SOLUTION: The solution was based on the juxtaposition of the program and urban changes in the area. One’s memory is carved with images of cows skinned hanging on large steel overhangs required to be conserved by New York Landmarks preservation commission and the stain of blood on the ground.
Before, courtesy de-spec
After, courtesy de-spec
The space is laid out to provide a surprise arrival to a destination and an escape from the streets. As you enter the flower shop the smell of the flowers provide a relief from the neighborhood. The store is an open space inviting multiple program and activities such as event space for weddings. During store hours, the activity of the staff, that of arranging flowers and moving around the workstations in the open space, becomes the display.
Courtesy de-spec
Courtesy de-spec
The Gansevoort addition to the flower shop connected Washington to Gansevoort Street and changed the flow of pedestrian movement. The openings on the masonry structure allow visual connection. The new façade design complied with landmark regulations and was unanimously approved by the landmark and one of the most modern solutions they have ever approved. The two entries of the store are connected by a monolithic sink and pool of 40 feet which allows for the flowers cut and destined for garbage to have a secondary decorative use.
Courtesy de-spec