COACH, OMOTESANDO FLAGSHIP / OMA

Coach`s ninth Japan flagship is a two-story, corner site on Omotesando, a prominent retail corridor in Tokyo. In comparison to the increasingly decorative elevations that characterize Omotesando, OMA`s design integrates display into the façade, seamlessly extending the brand`s presence from the inside out.

Founded in 1941, Coach began as a leather goods retailer, displaying their products in a single row of library-like, wooden shelving that categorized their handbags and wallets. The brand`s repertoire has since expanded to include a full range of lifestyle merchandise including outerwear, footwear, jewelry, watches and sunwear, which are now sold in a variety of retail environments from specialty boutique to department store.

Inspired by the clarity of Coach`s original, systematic filing retail strategy, OMA designed a modular display unit that is flexible enough to accommodate the specific needs of each product and retail environment. The spatial possibilities of this highly functional system reinforce Coach`s mission to represent `logic and magic.` For a kiosk within Macy`s department store at Herald Square, display units were assembled into a floor- to-ceiling high, “V” shaped wall. Products appear to float in the acrylic units, while maintaining views to the accessories floor beyond.

Coach`s ninth Japan flagship is a two-story, corner site on Omotesando, a prominent retail corridor in Tokyo. In comparison to the increasingly decorative elevations that characterize Omotesando, OMA`s design integrates display into the façade, seamlessly extending the brand`s presence from the inside out.

Dimensioned to accommodate Coach`s standard merchandising elements (ex. mannequins, busts, bags), the flagship`s basic display unit measures1800 mm x 520 mm. Frosted glass that provides interior shelving is further articulated to the exterior as louvers. The display units are configured in a herringbone pattern, assembled in vertical and horizontal orientation to facilitate a range of curation scenarios.

Viewed from the exterior, the double-height storefront presents an uninterrupted survey of Coach`s full collection in a single view, with a dedicated frame for each product. Viewed from the interior, the display unit`s translucency creates an active backdrop for merchandise, filtering Omotesando`s streetscape into the shopping experience.

In addition to the façade, OMA designed a central core of acrylic blocks that provides second layer of fixed display. The floating tower of illuminated units encases the store`s circulation, drawing circulation up to the second level of the store, while maintaining urban views. Beyond increasing display density, the tower creates a spatial condition in which the shopper is continuously surrounded by product. In the evenings, the circulation tower acts as a lantern, illuminating the façade as a dynamic, 24-hour window display from within.
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