Crate And Barrel At North And Clybourn: An Architectural Overview

Furniture World Magazine

The overall architectural goal of Crate and Barrel is to build stores that celebrate our merchandise, create a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience, contribute in a significant way to the physical environment and express the spirit of our company: a spirit of enthusiasm, dynamism, brightness, optimism and quality. This specific store design was inspired by its site: a triangular piece of land in the middle of an emerging retail district. We were able to plan the entire site for three stores, which we positioned along North Avenue and Clybourn Avenue with the parking lot between all three. This provides an interesting streetscape, and facilities pedestrian traffic between the buildings and the neighborhood. Crate and Barrel took the challenge of locating its store in the point of the triangle. This location allows the most exposure and invites dramatic and dynamic architecture from the outset, in order to express Crate and Barrel's newer merchandising complexities. As a retailer that sells well-designed houseware products from affordable basic merchandise to an eclectic furniture collection, it was important to represent all of these facets in the building. The slick and angular glass and metal curtain wall that forms the basic triangular shape of the building represents the core housewares business. The Kasota stone wall that interacts with and softens the triangle symbolizes the comfortable domesticity of our furniture. Finally, the three-story stucco box-shape that anchors the North Avenue side of the building represents the basic but sophisticated simplicity that is the essence of Crate and Barrel. An unseen basement level contains stockroom, offices and personnel spaces, as well as the mechanical infrastructure. The ground floor of the store houses all of the Crate and Barrel housewares collection, a small flower shop and the back-of-the-house delivery services. The second floor contains the larger portion of our furniture collection, an outdoor terrace and the customer restrooms. The rest of the furniture collection is housed on the third floor, along with the fabric sample collection, customer service counter and a cafe. All three floors are connected by a set of escalators that sit within a naturally lit atrium. Each floor has a distinct environment to set off its merchandise mix. On the first floor, the ever-changing seasonal merchandise will be displayed in two distinctly different areas: one is an oval room which is entered through the main revolving door. It is a large but intimate space and helps the customer to focus on the newest products. The other area is the atrium, where the Kasota stone and even some of the outside plantings will come inside the store, taking advantage of the natural light and creating a visual interaction with other parts of the store as well as the seasonal changes of nature outside. All of these dramatic elements make a great marketplace, and the addition of Crate and Barrel's first flower shop seems natural here. Along the Clybourn Avenue side is the gourmet department: a clean, white space with windows onto the sidewalk. This is a perfect frame for the numeric intensity of kitchen-oriented merchandise. Conversely, at the triangular point of the store, slightly away from the main circulation paths, the customer can find time and space to carefully browse for glassware, dinnerware and other tabletop products. To the south, along the North Avenue wall, our most basic products are housed in a more simply built-out space in the "box" element of the store. The second floor houses its portion of the furniture collection in both the rectangular shaped area along North Avenue and in the larger oval room, defined by the Kasota stone wall. A series of French doors opens out onto a spacious deck that contains outdoor furniture, and which can be accessed in pleasant weather. The loft-like atmosphere of the third floor is perfectly suited to the more contemporary furniture pieces, and the space is enlivened by a cafe with a small seating area. From this space, a bay window is cantilevered over North Avenue and looks out at the city skyline. In the exact opposite corner of that floor is a fabric "library" where customers can quietly study their choices and request sample swatches to take home. The rooftop mechanical units sit on a sloped roof that literally hangs under the curved ceiling of this space. This not only screens the equipment, but gives the building an uncluttered appearance from the outside. The outdoor landscaping, planned by landscape architect Doug Hoerr, was carefully integrated into the building plans. Boulders and greenery create a sense of relaxation outside of the excitement of the store itself. Crate and Barrel recognizes the added value of excellence in design and architecture. As the company grows, the importance of the site-specific design makes it stand out in the crowded field of home furnishing retailers. The owners of the company believe that contemporary architecture can continue to re-invent itself into a dynamic background for the merchandise it sells. In this way architecture becomes both inspiration to and part of the product mix for which Crate and Barrel is known worldwide. However, its main aim is to be welcoming to the customer, responsive to the local culture, and most importantly to crate an appropriate and enjoyable retail experience. For more information on Crate & Barrell call 800-323-5461.