Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, New York, by Steven Holl Architects.
Susan Wides Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, New York, by Steven Holl Architects.

Category: Play
Honorable Mention

New York–based Steven Holl Architects’ petite, 400-square-foot store for French perfumer Frédéric Malle is a discrete, geometrically inspired insertion within the first floor of a historic red brick townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. Imagining an appropriate architectural expression for smell, the architects developed a series of “slipped disks” which create imagery for the façade, cabinetry, furniture, and an outdoor space behind the store, dubbed the “Secret Garden.” Materials were chosen to evoke various sensory responses, similar to the olfactory sensations of the shop’s product: Foamed aluminum walls are porous and reflective; black walnut shelving is dense and smooth; and wool carpet is soft and rough. The garden is paved in schist and offers an acoustic reprieve from the city with the sound of water dripping from a cast-brass disk.

See all of the winners of ARCHITECT's 2014 Annual Design Review here.

For more projects by Steven Holl Architects, please visit ARCHITECT's Firm Profile.

Editions de parfums Frédéric Malle store, designed by Steven Holl Architects.
Susan Wides Editions de parfums Frédéric Malle store, designed by Steven Holl Architects.
Expanded aluminum foam lines the walls.
Aislinn Weidele Expanded aluminum foam lines the walls.
Custom bronze door hardware.
Susan Wides Custom bronze door hardware.
Plan.
Courtesy Steven Holl Architects Plan.
Display.
Susan Wides Display.
Custom shelving and display units line the walls.
Susan Wides Custom shelving and display units line the walls.
Garden.
susan wides Garden.

Project Credits Project  Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, New York
Client  Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
Architect  Steven Holl Architects, New York—Steven Holl, FAIA (design architect); Olaf Schmidt (associate-in-charge); Filipe Taboada (project architect); Yiqing Zhao, Assoc. AIA (project team)
Lighting Consultant L’Observatoire International
Cabinetry  Javier Gomez
Size  400 square feet