Google Store Chelsea
Architecture, Commercial, Interior Design —
On the ground floor of Google headquarters in Chelsea, Manhattan, Google’s first ever physical retail store is built on the core principles of neuroaesthetics.
The architecture and interior of the store are a playful and pragmatic expression of the motto “form follows feeling,” bringing a unique focus to the interplay of good design with human perception. The space re-awakens visitors to the childlike wonder found in the technology and digital innovation on display.
The new retail experience is warm and calming, novel yet useful. Abounding in soft, tactile surfaces such as cork and wood, the store’s design puts the visitor at ease, welcoming those seeking help alongside those pursuing their curiosity. A gravity-defying metal line twists its way through the room, introducing the intuitive whimsy of unexpected connections and free-form play while defining spaces for living.
The warm lighting and neutral tones guide the eye to the “Imagination Space,” standing at the entryway to the store. A semi-circular node of extruded glass tubing suspended between the ceiling and the floor refracts the light and invites visitors to interact with Google’s products and technologies on an individual level in human scale and experience the possibilities of technology.
A nod to New York’s windowshopping traditions, a series of lit window boxes are installed on 9th Avenue, which captivate observers, displaying Google products while showcasing a special technology that allows an AR interaction with the products on the interior.
The Google Store Chelsea has been designed according to the highest standards of sustainable and renewable practice and has received LEED Platinum certification. Notable materials in the space include cork furniture; flooring made from 100% recyclable material using factory waste in production with chemical-free maintenance; low-VOC material wall panels made from 100% PET plastic, containing at least 60% post-consumer content; and carbon-neutral floor coverings verified by the Interface Carbon Neutral Floors Program of Bureau Veritas.
Awards
· 2022 Green Good Design Award, Chicago Athenaeum
· 2022 NYCxDesign Award, Environmental Impact
· 2021 Global Architecture and Design Awards, Interior Retail
· 2021 Interior Design Best of Year Awards Finalist, Environmental Impact
· 2021 Architect’s Newspaper Best of the Year, Interior Retail Honorable Mention
The design brings a digital brand into the physical world through discovery, wonder, and warmth.
The Google Store Chelsea is rated LEED-Platinum, one of few retail spaces internationally to have achieved this certification.
