30 in 30: #15

The SoHo district of Manhattan is characterized not only by its well-preserved cast-iron buildings but also the ground floor stores that occupy them. High-profile retail like Prada (by OMA), Pleats Please (by Toshiko Mori), and other fashion and furniture boutiques help give the area its bustling street life.



A new addition to this mix of high-end retail is Alessi's New York flagship designed by Asymptote. Alessi is an Italian company that features tools for the kitchen by well-known designers, such as Philippe Starck, Aldo Rossi, and Michael Graves. This store is unique for the company in that it features not only a store for its wares but also a cafe for using some of them.



Like other SoHo storefronts, it sits behind a historical, cast-iron facade. A cantilevered sign, large lettering, and relatively generous glazing attempt to pull in passers-by. One can see from the outside that the interior sets itself apart through a succession of light bands that wrap the store in varying angular patterns.



Once inside, these bands shape the space and help funnel one to the back of the space, the retail component of the store. With a small service island between the store and cafe, there' s a subtle yet recognizable distinction between the two realms. The store is characterized not only by the lighting but the rear mirror wall that extends the bands of light into apparent infinity. Unfortunately, the cafe suffers from too-few seats and an uninviting feeling. Perhaps over time it will become a comfortable place to have a sip of coffee and sit for a while, though this goes against the true mission of the place: to get people to the back of the store to buy the $80 corkscrew rather than the $3 cappuccino.



Directions:
The store/cafe is located at 130 Greene Street (between Houston and Prince) in Manhattan's SoHo district. It can be reached by the C,E to Spring Street; the N,R,W to Prince Street; the 6 to Spring Street.

Previously:
#1 - Church of the Crucifixion
#2 - 40 Mercer Residences
#3 - Dichroic Light Field
#4 - Juan Valdez Flagship
#5 - IAC/InterActiveCorp
#6 - South Court of NYPL
#7 - Louis Vuitton Store
#8 - Ironworkers Local 580
#9 - Korean Presbyterian Church
#10 - Roosevelt Island
#11 - Stabile Hall (Pratt)
#12 - Terian Design Center (Pratt)
#13 - Higgins Hall (Pratt)
#14 - Broken Angel