Kimmerle Group Completes New Manhattan Headquarters, Showrooms for SPARC Group, LLC at 11 Penn Plaza
Fashion Industry Leader SPARC Group Retained Kimmerle Group to Design More Than 400,000-SF of Office and Showroom Space in New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle
Kimmerle Group, a New Jersey-based, multifaceted design, real estate, planning, development, and branding practice has completed a 175,000-square-foot office and showroom renovation for SPARC Group LLC at 11 Penn Plaza in New York City. Kimmerle Newman Architects and Kimmerle Workspace worked together to complete renovations, interior design, and furniture procurement at the space.
SPARC Group is a global enterprise which designs, sources, manufactures, distributes, and markets apparel and accessories for men, women, and kids. Current brands in the SPARC Group portfolio include Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Lucky Brand and Reebok. The company is using the space at 11 Penn Plaza as a consolidated headquarters for several of its brands.
“Our long-term relationship with the leadership at SPARC formed the basis for Kimmerle Group to become an effective and strategic partner in these recent rollouts, many of which have been in the planning stage since before the pandemic,” said George Kimmerle. “As the retail industry rebuilds and redeploys, Kimmerle Group is a part of that dynamic, and it’s an interesting place to be post-pandemic.”
Kimmerle worked with SPARC to create an environment where several individual brands that were previously located at distinct, brand-specific spaces are sited and composed as part of one integrated organization. The new space is home to design, merchandising, planning, production, marketing, and visual teams that work across the company’s retail, e-commerce and wholesale divisions.
“The new SPARC Group headquarters in Midtown Manhattan balances the operational and showroom needs of several diverse groups within a portfolio of lifestyle and apparel brands – all in one space,” said William Kimmerle, AIA, NCARB, a principal at Kimmerle Group who lead the project at 11 Penn Plaza. “Common spaces and showroom areas serve each of these brands without focusing on the market identity of any single brand. These areas, as well as additional ‘annexes,’ also provide flexibility for a company that continues to grow.”
The new SPARC Group headquarters supports the full suite of apparel-industry activities. Specialty areas include mock stores for national retail buildout models, showrooms to support a growing wholesale business and extensive workshops for designers addressing the full range of the group’s apparel collections, from denim to suiting. Tackling the challenges of consolidating separate teams from each brand, the space has been refitted to capitalize on in-place assets while providing a modern, collaborative office and backdrop for both staff and visitors.
“Through our partnership with Kimmerle Group, we have been able to bring our vision for SPARC’s corporate headquarters to life,” SPARC Group’s Chief Executive Officer Marc Miller said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our efforts to complete the additional SPARC Group spaces currently underway.”
Kimmerle Workspace provided extensive expertise with new equipment purchases for offices and specialty areas, and reorganization/refurbishment services to densify existing open plan furniture, that was recomposed for each department’s needs. Kimmerle Workspace also provided purchasing and installation services for moveable wall systems for private offices to afford SPARC future flexibility in accommodating changes in organizational structure.
Added William Kimmerle, “Consistent with the times, our work for SPARC has addressed corporate needs with an eye towards efficiencies and outcomes. The showroom and store spaces, as well as the photo studios and workrooms include an exciting and colorful mix of product and styles, providing a dynamic and expressive design-focused quality for these varied apparel brands.”
Kimmerle is leading the fitouts for several other SPARC Group projects, including a 165,000-square-foot space at Brookfield Property’s California Mart Plaza in the fashion district of downtown Los Angeles, managed by Principal George Kimmerle. A third project, a 75,000-square-foot space for Eddie Bauer is just underway in Seattle. Taking up three floors, the space is housed in a historic brick and timber warehouse adjacent to Pike Market on the Seattle waterfront. Additionally, a photo studio is being designed at SPARC’s Lyndhurst, NJ operations center.
About Kimmerle Group
Kimmerle Group is a multifaceted architecture, design and consulting practice with more than three decades in the real estate and construction industries, specializing in office, multifamily, retail, medical, industrial, and investment properties throughout the United States, with a focus on the New York metropolitan area.
Architecture and design expertise support the consulting approach at the core of Kimmerle’s practice since its foundation in 1990. Since inception, the firm has operated in a set of affiliated specialties, including urban planning & design, healthcare real estate consulting and design, workspace procurement, project management, real estate services, and branding. Kimmerle’s sustained growth is a result of both a big-picture focus on every assignment, and the intimate and transparent business relationships the firm has built throughout the years.
Kimmerle is recognized for its commitment to evidence-based design and the application of green, sustainable architecture principles. Kimmerle’s leadership is also continuously engaged in academic research, extending the depth of the firm’s practice, especially on issues relating to community health, sustainability, justice, and human empowerment.
Please visit www.kimmerle.com for more information.
About SPARC Group
SPARC Group LLC (SPARC) is a global enterprise which designs, sources, manufactures, distributes, and markets apparel and accessories for men, women, and kids. A full-service retail operator, SPARC delivers product and commerce innovation through a multi-brand platform which supports 4,280-plus retail doors and shop-in-shops, robust eCommerce, and leading wholesale accounts in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. As the dedicated operating partner for Brooks Brothers, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Aéropostale, Forever 21, and Lucky Brand, SPARC supports approximately $8.6 billion in global retail sales annually.
