New York Market Week is here and as retail continues to rapidly transform, we’re looking beyond the immediate industry, to environments and concepts inspiring the retail of tomorrow. Today’s consumers engage with brands in a fluid manner, the traditional sectors of the retail, restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment have blurred as the consumer-desired experience has become a mosaic of expectations, influenced heavily by engagement, access, and authenticity. Embracing these new expectations presents brands with a greater opportunity to differentiate, cross-sell and expand the breadth of their brand experience. So, this year while in the city we’ll be exploring some of the city’s most innovative new concepts across multiple industries, that we think could be a driving force in the retail experience of the future.

Our final Fluid Retail segment will focus on concepts revolving around Art + Recreation.  Below you will find the best spots in and around NYC to immerse yourself in a creative experience whether it’s an art show, concert, or tour. (And if you missed our first two posts in the series make sure to check them out here: Food & Beverage and Hospitality + Wellness)

Snark Park | Sensory Park in Hudson Yards

Snark Park is a permanent “immersive installation” venue designed by New York City architecture firm Snarkitecture. Located at The Shops at Hudson Yards, the “park” is open to the public allowing visitors to interact with “aesthetically pleasing architectural experiences”. Inside, one can find plenty of photographable moments in the two-way mirrored room decorated with glowing tiles and an array of other materials that play to the senses.

The New Pier 17 + South Seaport District | Lower Manhattan Developmen

The revitalization of Pier 17 and South Seaport District has been in the cue for years, and this year the restoration has begun to unfold. Spreading across 1.5 acres, the new Pier 17 Rooftop and mixed-use center is a concert venue, restaurant, park and more all in one. A variety of new shops have also opened near the Pier creating a new space for locals and tourist to enjoy the water.

Brooklyn Grange | Rooftop Farm

Although Brooklyn Grange is not a new concept, it is growing. If you haven’t heard of it yet, the Grange is the world’s largest rooftop soil farm. Along with harvesting fresh produce, the farm offers tours, workshops, yoga, and educational programs. Private events and weddings are offered for reservation. Altogether, the Grange provides people with a fluid experience that inspires people to experience something they usually wouldn’t find in the city.

Showfeilds | SoHo Pop-up Home

Shopping can be art too, especially at Showfeilds where you get to explore a variety of brands through colorful, immersive pop-up experiences. From the bottom to the top of this four-floor studio, visitors can find a parade of rotating workshops, events, and retail concepts where you can play or observe a number of brand experiences.

The Shed | Hudson Yards Venue

Called the “new center for the arts”, The Shed is an architectural wonder that plans to host established and emerging artists under one roof. The coolest thing about this venue is its adaptability. The venue can transition from indoor to outdoor with a sliding roof on wheels.  Here you could see your favorite artist, watch a new film, or attended a speaking event.

The Value Of Good Design | MoMA Exhibit

This Spring the MoMA is featuring an exhibit that highlights and explains the functional design elements that go into everyday items such as furniture, electronics, sporting goods, and more. The purpose of this exhibit is to explore the potential of design all the way from the 1930s to today. The exhibition also raises questions about what Good Design is and invites visitors to try out a few “good design” classics still in production.

A/D/O | Brooklyn Creative Hub

This repurposed warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has been transformed into a creative workspace, restaurant, and design store all-in-one. A/D/O memberships allow individuals and businesses to access events, art installations/exhibits, launch parties, and a coffee/lunch bar. At the center of the 23,000 sf experience the “Periscope“, a prism-shaped mirrored skylight window, becomes the focal point, allowing light flow throughout the space.

Chelsea Music Hall | Underground Concert Venue

In fall of 2018, Chelsea Market opened an underground music hall offering dinner theater, concerts, comedy and food. Unlike most music venues,  Chelsea Music Hall does focus on one specific genre of entertainment. The 250-occupant space will give performers and entertainment seekers of all kinds a unique venue to try new things. The music hall is also home to a highly anticipated menu brought to you by one of the Market’s upstairs vendors.

CINCINNATI — Nov. 27, 2023 — Bobby Schmidt has joined NELSON as Business Development Leader for the Industrial practice where he will further relationships with existing clients while expanding the firm’s portfolio in new markets. In this role, Bobby will develop scalable procedures and best practices to facilitate growth.

With more than a decade of experience, Bobby has created business development strategies to penetrate new markets as well as led accomplished sales teams. His expertise has enabled him to work closely with clients to ensure that goals and criteria are not only met but exceeded.

Having worked extensively in the industrial and medical industries supporting a wide range of applications in production, manufacturing, and logistics, Bobby has a well-rounded perspective in shaping business development strategies, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Bobby’s previous experience includes serving as project lead for a leading medical company to develop a strategy for their next-generation device, as well as working with clients on product development to understand facility capabilities and constraints.

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up? Was it a lion tamer or a schoolteacher, a pop star or a veterinarian? Everything was possible as a child – you could be anything. But how did you choose, how do you know what you don’t know? With endless possibilities, where do you start?

At American Girl and Melissa & Doug, the store is the gateway to that journey – the place where each story begins. With exploration and discovery, these brands have elevated what toys can do to educate and are bridging the gap between imagination and reality. The same can be applied for any kid’s environment. With peer play at the core, and the space conducive to it, studies have shown that a child will develop school adjustment skills and become better at social integration, emotional regulation, verbal communication and expressing creativity.

Most children don’t have access to online shopping. For a lot of kids, the store is the first introduction. We need the store to connect the product to the child. The most successful and engaging kids stores have a very literal customer journey (follow the yellow brick road) animated and storybook like. These imaginative environments can lead a child to discover new interests and these innovative products by American Girl and Melissa & Doug bolster the process of play to provide more possibilities closer to reality.

We can incorporate all these larger understandings into how we design a store. From prior experience (we were all young once), we know that kids are drawn to miniature expressions of grown-up apparel and products. These magnetic visual cues invite children to consider possibilities that they may not run across in their day-to-day life. In a store design, child-sizing is the way to put on kid goggles and change the point of view to 36” high. All they want to do is play. Play is planting the seeds and trying on is experiencing different possibilities. Together, these experiences created in-store can introduce an idea to a child that could grow into a career path.

Connecting the dots even further, the memories made (whether imaginative or real) create a lasting bond with the brands, much like a friendship. As a mom, I appreciate any opportunity that will help my kids become the best versions of themselves. Having enjoyed visiting these stores, and now being a part of the design process I have an even higher appreciation of what they can do to promote learning and enrich play. Let your imagination run wild like a child’s and come experience for yourself the wonder and magic of today’s kid’s store.

Can you come out and play?

NELSON Worldwide welcomes Daniel Robinson, AIA, NCARB, as Studio Leader of the Mixed-Use/Office practice. A seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in leading workplace, mixed-use, municipal, K-12, higher education and federal project types, Robinson will build and nurture client relationships and lead project teams to deliver superior service to existing and new clients.

A highly-skilled leader and mentor, Robinson will support and guide junior staff and oversee project performance to ensure client satisfaction and alignment with NELSON’s brand mission. Fueled by a strong belief in a service-oriented approach to management, he brings to the firm a demonstrated success in building positive, high-performing teams united in a common goal. Robinson will also enhance the firm’s presence across the country through extensive experience developing and executing strategic marketing plans, business development activities, operational standards and best practice policies to increase market share.

Robinson received a Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvd) from the University of Colorado Boulder and an Associate’s degree in architecture from Los Angeles Pierce College. Robinson operated as Architect-of-Record for the first LEED Gold Middle School in North Carolina, and has worked internationally in Malaysia and Puerto Rico.

CHICAGO — August 15, 2022 — NELSON Worldwide, award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm, welcomes Robert Cohoon as Technical Leader – Workplace. Robert will work alongside workplace project teams in the Central Region in a technical leadership role to coordinate drawing/document production and implement firmwide drawing standards. Robert will also provide oversight of matters related to code compliance and guide consultants through the design process while coordinating aspects of the construction process.

“Robert’s extensive knowledge of construction technicalities and his successful project portfolio makes him a critical addition to the NELSON team,” says Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at NELSON Worldwide, John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr. “We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the team and excited to witness him mentor and guide teams both regionally and nationwide.”

Robert brings an analytical and problem-solving approach to every project. He is passionate about design, inspired by the architecture around him, and motivated by the beauty and functionality of the built environment. For most of his career, Robert focused on the technical aspects of projects, drawing standards, code compliance, and construction coordination. Robert is excited to work with teammates nationwide on projects that exhibit creativity.

“What drew me to NELSON was their collaborative approach to project development,” says Robert. “NELSON is a firm that works with a network of experts throughout all locations to bring the best solutions to each project. In my new role, I will bring an elevated level of expertise to deliver successful projects while developing the skills and understanding of my teammates.”

Robert has an extensive background working domestically and internationally on nearly every project sector, including corporate, workplace, high technology, K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, aviation, and high-rise residential. He enjoys mentoring young professionals and sharing his knowledge and experience with teammates to help develop their skills and careers—a quality he will fully apply in his new role at NELSON.

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About NELSON Worldwide

NELSON Worldwide is an award-winning firm transforming all dimensions of the human experience through architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy services. With more than 800 teammates spread across 20 offices, the firm’s collective network provides strategic and creative solutions that positively impact where people work, serve, play, and thrive. The team combines industry knowledge, service expertise, and geographic reach to deliver projects across the country and around the world. Client partnerships across the NELSON network include: Hilton, Macy’s, Comcast, Simon Property Group, Prologis, Yum! Brands, Boston Consulting Group, T-Mobile, Emory Healthcare, SAP Fieldglass, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Kroger, Hyatt, Bayer, Target, and many more.

CINCINNATI – May 15, 2023 – NELSON Worldwide, Award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm, welcomes Faith Huddleston as Studio Leader, Lifestyle/Wellness, Retail. In this role, Faith will lead the lifestyle/wellness and retail studio in the Cincinnati office, shaping business growth throughout the city and region.

“We are thrilled to welcome Faith to our growing NELSON family,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at NELSON Worldwide. “Faith shares the firm’s vision of powerful design that has a beneficial and lasting impact on culture and society. I am confident in Faith’s leadership of our lifestyle/wellness and retail sector, which she will elevate by leveraging her expert perspective and through her unique, human-centric design approach.”

Faith brings to NELSON a wealth of experience mobilizing brands through retail environments that are immersive and activation driven. She is passionate about building creative teams to develop brand and experience strategy, environmental designs and compelling visual merchandising for all retail channels. A lifelong learner with a passion for mid-century modern architecture, she draws inspiration from global cultures, wildlife, art exhibits, gardening and digital fashion. As studio leader, Faith will develop compelling and progressive design solutions for clients. She will work in close collaboration with her team, providing mentorship throughout the process, while strengthening the firm’s interior design discipline to produce transformative results.

“The people are what brought me to NELSON,” says Faith. “While my new title, responsibilities, the firm’s reputation and a world-class portfolio are all pluses, the opportunity to work with industry leaders I’ve admired is what most attracted me to this role. I was also drawn by the transparency, vulnerability and forward-thinking approach to improving the ways we work in the post-pandemic world. At NELSON, I know I can be my best self, and I hope that with my diverse experience and design lens, I will ignite fresh thinking and promote a culture of camaraderie and open collaboration.

Faith is an award-winning designer, having been recognized multiple times in her 20 years of experience. In 2022, she was part of a team that won a National silver medal from the American Advertising Federation for a branded pop-up activation. Faith is currently vice president of the Retail Design Institute’s Ohio Chapter and a board member of CCAD’s retail design masters program. She is also an industry thought leader, frequently lending her expertise to trade publications like Visual Merchandising and Store Design (VMSD) and participating in speaking engagements for the International Retail Design Conference and The Retail Design Institute.

Prior to NELSON, Faith worked on a number of projects for notable clientele, including Neiman Marcus, Bath & Body Works, Starwood Retail Partners and the University of Dayton, among others.

“I’m excited to meet new clients and create original scripts for their design solutions while using branded stories to help them create bonds with their customers.” Faith continues. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to be part of this growing studio that is leading by example and driving the industry into the future.”

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About NELSON Worldwide

NELSON Worldwide is an award-winning firm, boldly transforming all dimensions of the human experience through architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy. With more than 700 teammates across 20 offices, the firm’s collective network provides strategic and creative solutions that positively impact where people work, serve, play, and thrive. The team combines industry knowledge, service expertise, and geographic reach to deliver projects across the country and around the world. Client partnerships across the NELSON network include Hilton, Macy’s, Comcast, Simon Property Group, Prologis, Yum! Brands, Boston Consulting Group, T-Mobile, Emory Healthcare, SAP Fieldglass, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Kroger, Hyatt, Bayer, Target, and many more.