Converse SoHo

Footwear brand Converse is embracing both its sports and rock ‘n roll heritage in the design of a speciality store in SoHo, New York. Designed in collaboration with Jennifer Carpenter Architects, the store opens tomorrow. It uses vintage elements such as old gymnasium benches, recycled factory components and archive imagery of New York City to acknowledge the heritage of the 110-year-old building. Innovative display set-pieces weave a modern element into the space.

One particularly striking visual feature is a 40 ft wall of Converse’s iconic Chuck Taylor All Star baseball boots arranged to form the stars and stripes of the American flag. There's also an area devoted to customisation, where customers will be able to create bespoke pieces in-store.

The store is the latest in a series of profile-raising ventures for Converse. The brand recently launched Rubber Tracks, a community-based recording studio, and enrolled artist Damien Hirst to create a customised version of the classic Chuck Taylor All Stars for PRODUCT(RED) - currently being sold in Hirst's store Other Criteria.

converse.com

jcarpenterarchitect.com