New York City — Rizzoli, a renowned bookseller for more than 50 years, will open a new flagship bookstore on July 27, 2015 at 1133 Broadway in the heart of New York City’s NoMad district.
Just three blocks north of Madison Square Park and steps away from myriad cultural destinations, the 5,000-square-foot space occupies the ground-floor level of the historic St. James Building, dating back to the early 19th century. The newly envisioned Rizzoli Bookstore captures the classic architectural experience for which the former bookstore locations were celebrated, integrated into a new vision that matches today’s tastes and the energy of its new location.
“For more than 50 years, the Rizzoli bookstore has attracted discerning patrons from around the globe and provided beautifully produced volumes on art, design, interiors, fashion, as well as literature, and important non-fiction books. We believe we have found the perfect location for our new flagship bookstore and we look forward to joining this vibrant community of innovative thinkers,” says Laura Donnini, CEO of RCS Libri, the book publishing arm of the Milan, Italy-based RCS MediaGroup. “We expect this customer — both New York-based, and visiting from all points national and international — to embrace the 21st century version of their favorite bookstore.”
Nationally recognized design firm Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects led the creation of the bookstore’s interiors. Inspired by the grandeur of the building and the neighborhood’s modernity, the new Rizzoli boasts an imposing 18-foot tall by 34-foot wide glass façade that showcases the interior’s 18-foot ceilings, a dramatic peaked skylight, and an expansive windowed salon entered via an striking red mullioned pivot door. Many of the classic fixtures from the 57th Street store have been preserved and re-introduced in the new space, including its cherry wood bookcases and grand brass and iron chandeliers.
Fornasetti Milano designed wallpaper exclusively for the Rizzoli flagship, custom-made by Cole & Son, manufacturers of fine printed wallpapers since 1875. The designs run as a frieze above the bookcases to the ceiling in all three grand rooms of the store, and feature surreal motifs of Italian cities floating in the clouds, hot air balloons, Zodiac figures and the classic Fornasetti collage of newspaper fragments overlaid with colorful butterflies.
For more information, visit https://rizzolibookstore.com/
SOURCE: Rizzoli