If you haven’t heard of the new development called Empire Stores in Brooklyn, brace yourself; it’s a game changer. This newly renovated LEED Silver certified cultural complex hosts a landmark corporate headquarters, restaurants, retail shopping and public rooftop with free Wi-Fi, all with spectacular waterfront views of Manhattan and located right next to Brooklyn Bridge State Park.
Located in the now-trendy neighborhood of DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass), a place that West Elm had its humble beginnings in 2002 and now boasts almost 100,000 square foot of corporate space that houses their Collection and Workplace brands, as well as more than 300 in-house designers, merchants, planners and creative teams. West Elm also recently announced it will be entering into the hospitality business and opening up hotels with a branded experience in six markets across the U.S. very soon.
“At our core, we are a start-up Brooklyn brand,” said Jim Brett, president of West Elm. “We were happy to support our hometown by making an early commitment to Empire Stores as its anchor tenant. We were fortunate to connect with the right development partner in Midtown Equities, who shared our vision and willingness to invest in our community.
“The offices will also showcase our belief in design to impact, featuring handcrafted installations by local and global artisans who we are committed to supporting through our growth.”
As an active partner in the three-year restoration, West Elm helped lead conversations about how to best reinvent this late 19th century coffee roasting facility and Civil War era warehouse, and began to reestablish its active role in Brooklyn community life.
Located squarely within the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, which consists of the DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Navy Yard neighborhoods, this area includes more than 500 innovative firms expected to undergo a transformative period of growth, creating upwards of 60,000 direct and indirect jobs within the next two years. This larger sense of community blurs the traditional lines between work and play, with monthly tech meet-ups, shared coworking environments, and abundant social programming creating added opportunities for spontaneous ideation.
West Elm first made its mark in the home furnishings market and has steadily been making an impact on contract furniture. It just opened its 100th retail store, and currently operates in the United States, Australia, Canada and the U.K.
From a taste perspective, West Elm appears to be making strides in helping customers express their personal style at home or in the workplace. Most of what West Elm does is designed to make an impact in everyday life, whether by offering unique, affordable designs for modern living or furthering its commitment to Fair Trade Certified products, as well as selling handcrafted products within community-driven in-store events and collaborations.
The West Elm retail store at Empire Stores, which opened in August, serves as a gathering spot for customers to shop unique designs at a great value, discover local New York-based makers and artisans, and connect with other members of the community over a cup of coffee or at a LOCAL pop up event.
Like its headquarters, the store architecture and design aesthetic pays homage to the original warehouse, incorporating salvaged materials into its design features, from a uniquely patterned floor featuring reclaimed support columns to a mural of the Brooklyn Bridge made entirely of reclaimed pine.
The West Elm headquarters boasts more than 170 handcrafted works commissioned from artisan partners around the globe that regularly sell their work in West Elm retail environments. The opening event was another line blurring experience; more than 700 people belonging to design communities from contract, retail and merchandising came together and celebrated this new creative venture.
It felt like the start of a new, larger community; many different creative individuals that rarely interact with one another were exchanging ideas and experiences in a truly inspiring space. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for the neighborhood and for West Elm.