Sabi

Jun 11

Written By Annette Prapasiri

What is to be preserved?

Cartier

RETAIL
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA

ARCHITECT OF RECORD: SWANKE HAYDEN CONNELL ARCHITECTS

PROJECT ARCHITECT: TODD DEGARMO

PROJECT DESIGNER: AYUMI DATE

FURNITURE DESIGNER: AYUMI DATE

寂

Sabi

The beloved French brand needed a renovation of its landmark, flagship boutique–a classic interior designer’s dream project. In 1987, this preservation project kept me mindful of my role and how, as an architect, I could expand my skills in creating and affecting the aesthetic shell of space. Before its 2016 celebrated transformation, Swanke Hayden Connel Architects, recognized for the Statue of Liberty preservation project, was commissioned by Cartier to update their interior. The notion that our uncelebrated casement designs endured for nearly 30 years is my personal career achievement. Before technology, our talents were expressed manually with ink on Mylar drawings, recalling another bygone era of drafting craftsmanship.

The Cartier mansion balances Italian Renaissance with English Georgian nuances. Amidst the glass and bronze, it remains a significant reminder of the bygone, gilded heritage of the luxurious mansions on Fifth Avenue. The ambiance and elegance built into every corner of this townhouse reflect the integrity and stability that Cartier values. One of the largest Cartier boutiques in the world, it is a fine building originally constructed for residential purposes and located in the prime midtown area. The interior’s dazzling mix of antiques, custom made furnishing and elements of hand craftsmanship are rarely, if ever, seen in a retail environment. Original carved oak panels line the walls of the rooms on the main floor. The existing interiors dripped with classic legacy. Our task was to honor its ghosts, heritage and constancy, recollecting and curating the past.

We learned to reflect the environmental design and modernity in an unassuming and balanced manner–in the details. Unable and almost sacrilegious to recycle the existing, we needed to re-imagine casements to address light and security. We embraced with a haunting reverence the passage of time without an overt visual impact that could potentially offend long-standing clientele.