Barneys New York Ginza flagship store 1st and 2nd floors renovated

The renovation of the first and second floors of Barneys New York's Ginza flagship store was based on the concepts of "memory" and "creation," aiming to create a space that respects the tradition (=memory) that the brand has built up over many years while generating new value (=creation). By utilizing existing fixtures such as calm wood-grain walls and niches, and combining sustainable materials, materials that blend naturally with existing finishes, and unique, symbolic fixtures, the store aims to fuse timeless quality with a challenging sense of humor.

The watch workshop at the back of the first floor was designed as a "visible customer service" space, enhancing the customer experience by providing semi-private meeting areas that offer a sense of privacy. The newly installed cafe counter was also designed with visibility from the outside in mind, aiming to attract new customers. As you proceed to the second floor, connected by the central staircase, mirror walls at different angles are installed so that the entire floor is visible, creating an iconic look. Further back, a display is placed in front of the vintage area to improve attraction and encourage visitors to move around.

Within a short construction period and limited budget, we achieved a reliable concept design proposal by actively reusing existing fixtures and conducting rapid verification using point cloud data. The project resulted in creating an iconic and luxurious space that embodies Barneys' unique style, inheriting tradition while pioneering the future.

Our existing stores faced several challenges related to customer flow, visibility, and dwell time.

The first floor had an impression that it was difficult to attract customers due to the location of the entrance and the layout of the storefront, so improving this was a challenge. Furthermore, there was an expectation for a proposal to improve the flow of customers throughout the store and to create a space that would encourage them to stay longer.

On the second floor, the primary challenge was how to utilize the area connected to the main staircase in the center. Its insufficient depth made it unsuitable for displaying merchandise, but it needed to be symbolic as it was the face of the second floor. Furthermore, the large area to the right of the staircase had existing fixtures that were primarily hanging and uniform in height, lacking elements to capture the eye and making it difficult to create rhythm in the space. A zoning and fixture concept design that made the category structure easy to understand was required, and balancing "clarity of display" with "visual appeal" was identified as a key challenge. In addition, there was a need to enhance the overall flow of movement across the floor and create a mechanism to draw customers to the newly established vintage area in the private room at the back.

To address the above challenges, a concept design approach was needed that comprehensively improved visibility, traffic flow, and dwell time.

On the first floor, a pop-up area has been set up in front of the store to attract customers. Within this, we have proposed modular, flexible fixtures to make use of Barneys New York's strength in terms of editing. The finish is based on an antique brass color that carries on the memory of the existing store, combined with new sustainable materials to create a space that symbolizes "memory and creation," achieving both tradition and updating.

In the watch workshop at the back of the first floor, the existing mosaic floor motif has been repurposed onto the walls, giving the entire space a sense of continuity and unity. In addition, uniquely shaped shelves and playful furniture have been placed throughout the store, expressing the unique Barneys worldview and humor that makes customers want to explore the store. The newly established cafe area has also been finished in a way that harmonizes with the existing materials, creating a space where existing customers can feel at ease. Chairs and benches have been added in appropriate places within the store, creating a structure that enriches the dwell time and creates opportunities for customer service.

On the second floor, a symbolic mirror fixture has been installed to visually convey the contents of the entire floor to customers circulating from the central staircase. In an area that was dominated by hanging fixtures and felt monotonous, tall fixtures and lighting have been effectively placed to create multiple "focal points" for the eye. Zoning according to category and a layout that assumes ease of movement have been achieved, achieving both easy-to-understand displays and a smooth flow of traffic. Furthermore, by placing a "face-out" display fixture in front of the vintage area at the back and adding new fixtures to the wall at the end, the depth of the space is visualized, with the plan being to increase attraction and ease of movement.