Madison Avenue Retail Storefront
Interior Renovation
Upper Manhattan
Transforming Retail Space on Madison Avenue
OVERVIEW
Madison Avenue is one of the most prestigious addresses in the world, and restoring any building on this historic street requires exceptional care and attention.
SITT Asset Management trusted EDG to turn a heavily fortified building, which was enclosed and lacked visibility, into something more open and accessible. SITT wanted the 3,000-square-foot retail space to be more inviting from the street while remaining unaggressive in stature, increasing appeal for potential retail clients (see our Alo Yoga Studio + Store Concept for the space). Our completed restoration marries Madison Avenue’s historic charm with a modern, expansive glass façade that engages passersby and welcomes them into the space.
APPROACH
The original first floor was sunken below ground level, challenging retail access, so we set out to make it level.
By analyzing the load-bearing structures, we identified opportunities to reduce walls and open the façade to the street, increasing visibility and creating a seamless connection between the interior and Madison Avenue. This meant gutting the building, removing three floors and replacing only two, reconfiguring egress for efficient exits, and installing a new elevator. We navigated historic, landmark, and modern building codes to ensure compliance.
IMPACT
The completed storefront stands out in modern retail design, maximizing the building's potential while respecting its historical context.
Our overhaul creates options for high-end retail clients to embrace the space, like the concept store we designed for Alo. The ground floor features 17-foot-high ceilings and a single-panel glass façade that invites interaction with the store from the street. The restoration blurs the boundary between inside and out, creating an immersive shopping experience that achieves the client’s vision of a high-end experience and a new benchmark for retail design on Madison Avenue.
