Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship Proposal
Boston, Massachusetts

Gabellini Sheppard Associates was commissioned to generate a new-generation luxury retail emporium for Saks Fifth Avenue to express the retailer's reorientation toward fashion performance and inter-departmental integration. Conceived as a theatrical marketplace in which customers see and can be seen, the redesigned Saks environment choreographs increased circulation throughout the space and highlights the merchandise on display.

The 100,000 square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue Boston flagship - originally a two-level 1970s box nestled among the high-rises of Prudential Center - was totally redesigned from the inside out. Key to the fresh unveiling of the Saks identity was a major extension of the formerly recessed storefront toward the street. A graphic, undulating glass curtain wall acts as a full-height proscenium frame connecting the urban flaneur with the world of product and lifestyle within.

A central elliptical volume connects the entire interior space along a longitudinal axis. Envisioned as a central hub of activity in the tradition of great public gathering spaces such as Rome's Piazza Navona, this elliptical promenade forms the core of radiating clusters of merchandise. A series of proscenium arches frame the procession of approach, entry and circulation. These frames define product/lifestyle areas and concepts, including Contemporary (vibe), Designer (presence), Evening (allure), Cosmetics (blush), Shoes (fixate), and Living Room (unwind).