sector: Electronics
district: Chelsea
76 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
In a nutshell
Google's brand/experience offering that makes the Apple Store seem staid and 'last year'.
In their words
"The new Google Store is an important next step in our hardware journey of providing the most helpful experience of Google, wherever and whenever people need it"
Visit Field notes
A well-trodden "product + lifestyle zones + interactive showcase + lecture area" format is given a lift with interactive experience rooms. These have a very strong storyboarded experience (working at home, music production etc) and showcase Alexa as the glue in the Google ecosystem.
Of particular note is the room dedicated to the advanced photography capabilities of their phones, and in particular how the sensor/software combination has been trained to render non-caucasian skin-tones with fidelity.
As you consider the impact of Apple Stores on how technology is presented, Google moves a step further by adding 'ecosystem' to the mix. Nearby, car manufacturers are adopting this approach to bring the electronic/asset/lifestyle products to life with showroom experiences - see Genesis House, Tesla, Lucid and Lexus Intersect (closed).
With Samsung scheduled to close their brand store nearby, this leaves Google as the surviving exemplar of a phone+electronics+digital mega-brand creating an environment for their customers to learn, connect and extend.
See too their brand store in Brooklyn which continues the approach but in a more generous building than this 'sliver of land'!
Other Reading
Some reviews on the opening.
- Google Blog: https://blog.google/products/devices-services/google-store-nyc-opening/
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markfaithfull/2021/05/20/worlds-first-google-store-to-open-in-new-york-this-summer/?sh=1142c4a277f9
- The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22445472/google-first-physical-retail-store-chelsea-nyc-summer-2021
LAST VISITED
19/11/2024
Added
2021
COMPARE WITH
British architect Sophie Hick's minimalist take on Alaia's move from wholesale to D2C.
A design-meets-cocktails-meets-restaurant space to expand Lexus’ design and lifestyle credentials.
Eyewear brand whose stores are like art popups. Consistently collaborative (on projects, co-brands, celebrities and artists), the brand produced prescription and sunglass styles that are not repeated.
Bold, brutalist remake of a Soho flagship building showcases the brand's "Raw Architecture" aesthetic. Sparse, sustainable fittings in a generous space, evoke 'art gallery' and luxury at the same time
Similar shops
Luxury second-hand goods (clothing, jewellery, objets, curated and displayed in an aspirational townhouse venue.
Architecturally-led, train-shed-chic flagship for the luxury jewellery brand.
A Meatpacking showcase for the electric-first, chunky 'Adventure vehicles" - experience, learning, configuration and test drives, with lots of lifestyle design queues in a generous location.
Modernist, sleek showroom, with great use of streetside glass to showcase the cars. A combination of whole cars (to sit in and experience) and cutaways and technology focus points to celebrate enginee...
This store encapsulates the vision to be the future of the pet industry - services, expertise, learning and health. A real destination.
Bâton Rouge Paris is a boutique cosmetics “lab” specialising in 100% tailor-made, eco-responsible lipsticks, created on-site in a personalised co-creation experience
