Going in the new PORCELANOSA Group showroom in New York is to fully explore the exciting world of architecture and interior design, through the knowledge of the latest and newest trends in the sector, as well as the most cutting-edge products, and the latest ones by the firm.
The Commodore Criterion symbolic building, now a PORCELANOSA building in the Big Apple, continues to be faithful to its initial construction in the street, conceived as a classical-styled 6 floor building. Nevertheless, the renovation carried out by Foster + Partners studio, headed by Norman Foster, has made the setting up of the ground floor or basement possible, as a part integrated in the structure of this new showroom, an urban commercial icon in the city of the skyscrapers. Furthermore, a double-height interior design is present all over the building, thus, removing visual barriers and the total interconnection of the spaces.
The new PORCELANOSA Group showroom reception desk is located on the first floor, with three visible levels from the entrance. An impressive 7m-high LED screen gives visitors a warm welcome and it catches one’s eye through the wide shop windows which connect with Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.
The materials used for the interior design are the natural stone wall tiles by L’Antic Colonial, which have been installed on the reception counter and combined together with KRION® Solid Surface, the state-of-the-art mineral compact, which covers the ceilings in its 1901 Black version.
On the ground floor of the building, a space has been set up, which is aimed at showing the most representative collections of the group, in wall tiles and floor tiles, as well as in kitchen or bathroom equipment. Kitchens play an important role in this specific part of the store thanks to the exhibition of the most technological designs by Gamadecor and its laser-technology Emotions kitchens. It is also worth highlighting Ramon Esteve’s Faces collection for L’Antic Colonial, characterised by its irregular polyhedron surfaces. A big natural wood and stone panel from this collection connects the ground floor with the upper level in a vertical way. Furthermore, on this floor, an interactive table and a large LCD screen allow for the creation of spaces with PORCELANOSA products and for visualising them in their final finish and in a real-size scale format through 3D technology.
Relaxation on behalf of the professionals visiting PORCELANOSA Group facilities in Manhattan turns out to be the main objective with regard to the second floor of the building, where a café has been put, as well as a space for the exhibition of live cooking shows staged in real kitchen settings from the firm.
Levels 3 and 4 have been kept for showing bathroom atmospheres and spaces. PORCELANOSA Group’s bathroom equipment firms, such as Noken, Gamadecor, System-pool and L’Antic Colonial, all of them have a home here for the exhibition of the latest designs regarding taps, sanitarywares, showers, bathtubs and bathroom furniture.
Towering over the fifth floor, where the firm’s offices are located, the visit of the new PORCELANOSA store in New York reaches the sixth floor, where an Architect Lab has been set up. There, clients will be able to search for materials in the record files, where one can find over a thousand references to choose from. The experience, moreover, is interactive, by means of the technology desks, which enable immediate product searching.
Events, lectures and workshops will be carried out in the big space located on level 7 in the building, through which we can gain access to the terrace, and from where we can enjoy the wonderful views of the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park as well. A dream like atmosphere where one can let creativity flow and apply the latest trends to the best interior design projects.
