H&M unveiled its newest flagship store in Times Square, New York City, showcasing the brand’s innovative 2.0 store concept designed by its global team in Sweden. Totaling 45,000 square feet, the redesigned space represents a new era for H&M, with a focus on elevated aesthetics and immersive customer experiences. Schimenti Construction played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life, delivering the project within a tight 26-week schedule to meet the critical deadline ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday season.
The store’s design highlights premium materials and state-of-the-art features, including fluted concrete panels, seamless terrazzo flooring, custom-built wood fitting rooms, and a signature glass wall with a multi-story ambient light display surrounding the main escalator and spanning the entire height of the space from the first to the third floor. Schimenti successfully tackled the complexity of installing LED walls in the escalator atrium, carefully sequencing scaffolding and ceiling work to ensure a perfect result. Further enhancing the shopping experience, the flagship features interactive fitting rooms equipped with LED screens, customizable themes, and curated music, allowing customers to personalize their visits and create shareable content.
The project faced several challenges, starting behind schedule due to delays in design submissions. Schimenti had only three weeks to estimate, buy out, and mobilize the job. Additional obstacles included managing design changes, coordinating delivery logistics in Times Square, and working within a high-security building. Despite these challenges, Schimenti’s team demonstrated adaptability and efficiency, ensuring the project stayed on track.
Effective communication with H&M was vital to the project’s success. The collaborative partnership ensured swift resolutions to design changes and logistical issues, culminating in a flagship store that embodies H&M’s elevated brand direction. The Times Square flagship showcases the best of H&M’s fashion identity. It redefines immersive retail design, offering customers a dynamic and engaging shopping experience in one of the world’s most iconic locations.