Sound and Communications - July 2008 Issue

The iconic Red Doorintroduces consumersto an AV experiencewithin ElizabethArden’s flagship NewYork City boutique.estate [area] from 54 th to 59 th Street.So, having the running video availablefor customers to see from the outsidegives us another opportunity to tell ourstory. Our goal is to project this powerfulpresence through the design of ournewly renovated flagship store.”Mazzotta continued: “When we discussedthe new floor plan, we wantedto do something curvaceous that createdmovement throughout the storethat really enticed the customer toshop,” she said, adding, “Before therenovation, it was like a bowling alley:just walls on either side. And you justwalked straight back. So it was verychallenging to work with the metaland be able to incorporate the videoin front.“We wanted to make sure we couldproject it from the back, from sucha short space. [The video assembly]was built as part of the wall. Anyonecould have put a plasma on the wall.[Integrator] McCann Systems reallybrainstormed with us. And they did agreat job.”She also noted that the sound wasan important element, along with thechoice of music. The concealed ceilingspeakers aren’t obtrusive and don’t takeaway from the beauty of the store. TheMcCann Systems’custom-designeddual-curved “S”-shaped videoscreen uses a rearprojectionsled andoutboard geometrycorrection foran ideal viewingexperience.sound is “heaven-like when you’re shopping,”and the lighting “adds a bit offemininity” with the stretched fabric.AV IntegratedIn ArchitectureThe makeover design challenge wasimplemented by New York City-basedHighland Associates. The attention-gettinggigantic “S”-curved red lacqueredplate steel ribbon wall that runs downthe center of the store, which wasdesigned by architect Glenn Leitch,principal and design director of HighlandAssociates, is at the heart of theJuly 2008 35