AnthonyTsai
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Panerai reopens its New York Boutique with Patricia Urquiola
NEW YORK, February 2015 – Officine Panerai is reopening its New York boutique at 703 Madison Avenue with the new concept created by architect-designer Patricia Urquiola.
OFFICINE PANERAI REOPENS ITS NEW YORK BOUTIQUE WITH PATRICIA URQUIOLA
The boutique of the celebrated Italian high-end sports watchmaker is now located in the most prestigious and exclusive luxury shopping area of Manhattan.
Panerai’s boutique has expanded to an area of 700 square feet on a single floor and it has two large display windows looking onto Madison Avenue.
Patricia Urquiola, the celebrated Spanish designer, has reinterpreted the aesthetic and technical codes of the watch house, respecting the identity of the brand with a timeless design: she has succeeded in respecting tradition with a look that is nonetheless modern and up-to-date, finding a genuine link between the past and the future.
The concept and the materials perfectly respect the philosophy and the history of Officine Panerai: there are clear references to both its Florentine origins and to the world of the sea arising from its historic role of supplying precision instruments to the special forces of the Italian Navy between the 1930s and the 1950s.
At the entrance of the boutique, on the front wall, one is immediately struck by a large printed image of Florence’s cathedral, instantly recalling the origins of the brand.
The characteristic unique elements used by Urquiola for the new boutique are “calacatta luccicoso” marble, brass, wood and a special “reeded” glass that is undulating and transparent.
The brass lights and the sales counters with wood details recall the world of the sea and of ships. One of the three display windows inside the boutique has a unique elongated shape, drawing its inspiration from the underwater world. The floor is made of marble.
The boutique is therefore sophisticated, contemporary and elegant, but at the same time it is welcoming; as well as admiring the technical beauty of Panerai watches, clients can also relax in an intimate, luxurious atmosphere.
In addition to Madison Avenue, New York, Studio Urquiola has been responsible for the design of newly opened or remodeled Panerai boutiques in Florence, Paris and Hong Kong, and the firm has also designed the boutique that is about to open in the Miami Design District, which will be the flagship store of North America.
With the new boutiques and reopenings designed by Urquiola, Officine Panerai now has 64 boutiques in the world, 10 of which are in the United States.
Angelo Bonati, Chief Executive Officer of Officine Panerai, says: “We are very proud to announce the reopening of our boutique in New York which is now in the most exclusive and prestigious part of the city. For us the United States is a fundamentally important market. Patricia Urquiola has perfectly respected the philosophy of the brand and she has succeeded in conveying our link with tradition while looking to the future, to design, to innovation and to the search for excellence. Special editions will be available in the New York store, pieces which will be unique throughout the world.”
Patricia Urquiola says: “This is my favorite part of Madison Avenue which I have often visited when I have been in New York. My aim has been to bring a part of Florence to New York, with a digital image of the city immediately recalling the origins of the brand. I have used warm materials for the new boutique such as wood, brass and marble.”
Officine Panerai New York Boutique
703 Madison Avenue
New York, NY
Tel: 212.319.1245
Email: concierge.usa @ panerai .com [remove spaces]
OFFICINE PANERAI
Founded in 1860 in Florence when it consisted of a boutique, a workshop and a watchmaking school, Officine Panerai was for years the supplier of precision instruments to the Italian Navy, in particular equipping the commando frogmen. The projects which were created at that time, including the Luminor and Radiomir watches, continued to be covered by military secrecy for many years, until the purchase of the brand by the Richemont Group in 1997 and the brand’s subsequent launch on the international market. Today, Officine Panerai develops and produces its own movements and watches – combining Italian design and history with Swiss craftsmanship – in its manufacture at Neuchâtel, and these are sold worldwide through an exclusive global network of authorised dealers, and in its own-brand boutiques throughout the world. www.panerai.com
PATRICIA URQUIOLA
Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo, Spain. She studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and at the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she took her degree in 1989 under the direction of Achille Castiglioni. She has been assistant lecturer to Achille Castiglioni; she has worked with Vico Magistretti; and she became head of the Lissoni Associati design agency. In 2001, Patricia founded her own studio centred on design and architecture. Among her most recent projects are: the Jewellery Museum in Vicenza, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona, the Das Stue hotel in Berlin and the Spa of the Four Seasons Hotel in Milan; retail projects and fittings for Gianvito Rossi, BMW, Flos, Missoni, Moroso, Officine Panerai, H&M and Santoni, and Pitti Uomo, Florence. She carries out designs for major Italian and international companies.
Several of her works are exhibited in major art and design museums and she has won numerous international prizes and awards, including the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal for the Fine Arts); the Order of Isabella the Catholic, presented by His Majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain; “Designer of the Decade” by the magazines H.O.M.E. and Häuser, and “Designer of the Year” by the magazines Wallpaper, AD Spain, Elle Deco International and Architektur und Wohnen.
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2015-02-24 10:37:40
