Moose Knuckles New York store wins design award

The first US flagship store for Moose Knuckles in the heart of Soho, New York, has won the prestigious NYCxDesign Award for Large Retail, which celebrates outstanding architectural and design projects.

The Canadian luxury outerwear brand’s flagship built by Shawmut Design and Construction and designed by O’Neil Langan Architects beat off strong competition from flagship stores of Puma, Nordstrom and JPMorgan Chase to win the prestigious prize.

The Moose Knuckles flagship was honoured for its “mind-binding visual journey” with the store driving not only traffic but also a great customer experience with its original and reproduced eye-popping installations include a miniature replica of Drake on Toronto’s CN Tower and a two-story Rube Goldberg-inspired kinetic fixture, comprised of hockey sticks, newtons 8-ball cradle, and railcar tracks.

“In today’s retail landscape, it’s vital for us to have a direct connection with our consumers,” explained Ayal Twik, chief executive of Moose Knuckles in a statement. “We couldn’t have chosen a better space to open our first US store. This city embodies what Moose Knuckles is all about. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s one of a kind.”

The interior of the store is defined by an intricate custom plaster displaying a birds-eye view of glaciers from above to highlight the brand’s focus on the outdoors, while custom displays throughout house various product categories to create a story “around every corner” of the store.

The overall bold backdrop serves as a canvas to showcase the brand’s men’s, women’s and kid’s lifestyle collections, while the Moose Knuckles’ VIP room has been designed as a sensual wonderland, with red velvet walls, luxe fabrics and fine upholstery.

“To drive traffic, retailers have to foster a sense of discovery that extends beyond basic transactional purchases,” added David Margolius, Shawmut‘s executive vice president. “Moose Knuckles’ Soho store embodies this concept, using every inch of space to create a brand touchpoint. The team leveraged our extensive network of artisans to align with the brand’s vision, exemplified in the product display cases that also double as artwork.”

In terms of furnishing, the Moose Knuckles’ boutique draws inspiration from the brand’s exuberant but sophisticated aesthetic and blends distinguishable architecture into a surreal retail experience with bespoke grain wood tiles and reclaimed cast-iron columns. On the ground level, the boutique is fronted by custom gold glass, mirror polished stainless steel, a multi-level screen erected to the right of the store showcasing a live stream of the northern lights, and the refurbished architectural elements bring architect, Steve O'Neil of O'Neil Langan Architects’ raw yet polished vision, to life.

Images: courtesy of Moose Knuckles