Staying connected
The new prototype store for The Wiz, a center for entertainment, technology and connectivity on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, is an example of the convergence of goods and services in one location. In the category of Renovated Specialty Stores (over 5,000 sq. ft.), Columbus, Ohio-based RPA was awarded the 2001 SADI for its design work on the project.
The design team created a sense of "infinitude" evoked by fiber-optics imagery of water and starry sky. The tower of monitors in the store is designed so customers can see a screen from any perspective. The live monitors also tie The Wiz to its parent company, Cablevision.
Within the flex zones, there are four shields with graphics that change seasonally. The graphics reinforce the store's edgy, moody, MTV atmosphere. Shields also are used throughout the space to speak to the product offering. All shields have an image assigned to them so the shield will never be left empty. Featuring dimmable lighting, flex zones also can be used as a performance space.
As customers move through The Wiz, they are told a story that encompasses all of the elements of entertainment, from the events, to services and products.
Category
Renovated Specialty Stores
(over 5,000 sq. ft.)
Award Recipient
RPA
Columbus, Ohio
Doug Cheesman (CEO); Diane Perduk Rambo (executive senior vice president/creative director), Paul Hamilton (senior environmental designer); Perry Kotick (senior lighting designer); Jim Penn (senior planner); Dave Spurbeck (documentation specialist); Beth Mulick (project coordinator); Steve Sukokics (implementation specialist); Scott Hagley (project director)
Client
The Wiz
Edison, N.J.
Product Manufacturers/Suppliers: Action Group, Columbus, Ohio (TV towers); J&F Manufacturer, Queens, N.Y. (perimeter wall units and gondolas); PS Professional, St. Petersburg, Fla. (music browsers and wall for music department); Neriani Woodworking, Windsor, Conn. (millwork); Atlas, Los Angeles (carpet); Lido Lighting, Deer Park, N.Y. (lighting and fiber optics); Permagrain Products, Newton Square, Penn. (wood flooring)