over the transom: miss sixty Atelier FABRIQ what is your work about? We try to provide functional and pleasurable spaces, drawing upon the existing qualities of each particular project site and by using simple and intelligent gestures. We attempt to mine past and contemporary styling to develop spaces with lasting appeal. why Miss Sixty? We did the Sixty-Canada showroom/office in Montreal in 1999. Sixty- Canada and the office in Italy were pleased with the Montreal show - room, and Sixty was redefining its North American expansion. They needed a New York showroom and head office. That project was completed in Spring 2001 and was followed by the Nolita boutique, their first North American store experiment. It wasn’t to be their flagship store, but rather as ‘lab store’ for future retail experiences NewYork was our first step into the United States. There was a great deal of trial by fire’, but we emerged relatively unscathed and a great deal more knowledgeable about practicing architecture in the US. We are now working in joint venture with Italian architects on the design of a new Sixty Showroom/office/retail complex in Los Angeles planned for Summer 2002 completion. how did September 11 change the project, the economy of work- ing in NY? The attacks directly impacted the retail project in that it was close enough to Ground Zero that the construction site was inaccessible for at least one week and was logistically affected for a few weeks fol- lowing. As outsiders however, we did observe a heightened resolve by all involved to complete the project in spite (or perhaps, in defiance) of the tragic events. how would you describe the store? The design of the store is a collision between contemporary and 1950s design. The tactile quality of mid-century design with its bent and sculpted wood, its use of chrome and steel, its abstract patterns and its Modern flavour are assimilated and reinterpreted to create a clean, yet rich, engaging and dynamic space. why are the 1950s so very interesting these days? We ‘blame’ IKEA and their ilk for raising the appreciation of natural materials as well as for functional, playful and emotive designs.
Atelier FABRIQ. Jean-Christian Koch, project architect Michael Hall, assistant designer Miss Sixty-Nolita Boutique 244 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 180 m 2
Atelier FABRIQ is a young architecture and design firm based in Montreal, with projects currently in New York and Los Angeles.
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ON SITE review 6: BEAUTY
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