- REI’s highly anticipated flagship store, their first in New York City, consists of three levels and includes a complete bike shop.
- Great efforts were taken to preserve and honor the historic building elements while meeting the needs of a modern retailer. Layers of wood, plaster and paint were carefully removed to expose yellow pine timbers, cast iron columns and arched brick ceilings. The exposed building elements were simply clear coated and sealed and their natural character displayed. Two nine-ton, 14-foot flywheels that originally powered the printing press, cast iron columns, original chandeliers and lithograph tablets dating back to the early 1900s were all retained. Schimenti worked diligently to modify these archaic building elements with modern means and methods without losing their intrinsic charm.
