Step Inside MoMA’s Redesigned SoHo Store

All images courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art (All phototography by Eric Petschek)

Design-savvy shoppers scouting for Mondrian-inspired flower vases, Bodum dinnerware, or pop-up holiday cards will be pleased to discover that the MoMA Design Store SoHo has reopened after a four-month renovation. Designed by Brooklyn-based Peterson Rich Office, the 6,600-square-feet space at 81 Spring St. celebrates the landmark building’s 19th-century cast iron and masonry architecture while integrating contemporary product displays.

Built in 1884, the building’s historic facade has been fully restored and returned to its original 1880s location—restoring its original footprint while creating a dramatic view through reopened windows. A new front-of-store area welcomes visitors into a series of product installations, including a display dedicated to objects from MoMA’s collection, that will rotate seasonally. A perimeter shelving system by Rareraw, a third-generation Korean family business making its U.S. debut, offers a versatile framework with integrated lighting.

Two monumental shelving units, fabricated in perforated steel with a signature blue paint finish, provide a dynamic backdrop for featured collections. “As we dove into materials with Peterson Rich Office for the project, this color kept showing up—across early MoMA Design Store catalogs, current product photography, and even in exhibitions at the museum,” says Jesse Goldstine, the chief retail officer for MoMA. “Once we started to bring the color into the space, we felt it worked well with the existing brick, and we realized it became a great backdrop for our products. The blue color acts not only in service of our goals for the redesign, but it can also be a neutral color in the store for the products to pop.”

Artist Nina Chanel Abney created the mural LOVE NYC.

The north wall of the store now serves as a canvas for the Modern Mural, a site-specific artwork that brings MoMA’s programming into the store. The first mural is LOVE NYC by Nina Chanel Abney; it's a colorful piece that layers references to SoHo’s streetscape with nods to MoMA’s collection. Its scale and street-facing visibility through the reopened Spring Street windows transform the mural into a striking focal point inside and a colorful new spot to catch the eye of shoppers and design-aficionado passersby. If you’re in the area, the store is worth a visit—even if you don’t spend a dime.

The MoMA Design Store SoHo is located at 81 Spring St. between Crosby Street and Broadway. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

—Rita Catinella Orrell