Armani Fifth Avenue in New York
This Armani shop in Fifth Avenue is the third Fuksas architects have created for the international fashion concern after Hong Kong and Toyko. Conceived as a continuous space extending over four storeys of two building blocks, the interior is dominated by a central element in the form of a freely shaped, sculptural staircase. Its load-bearing structure, consisting of rolled-steel sections and steel sheeting, is clad with a layer of glass-fibre-reinforced concrete with a shiny white coating. The inner steel structure was prefabricated in Italy, and the elements were transported to New York, where they were assembled on site, thus reducing costs and construction time. The flights of stairs and balustrades sweep through the space, eluding attempts to grasp their geometry.
