Credit: Ari Burling

Henri Bendel

BBB has transformed two 19th century mansions into a retail stage for one of Manhattan's famed luxury department stores, preserving and celebrating their original materials and details.

To house the prestigious Henry Bendel flagship store, BBB was commissioned to restore two Fifth Avenue landmark townhouses, the Rizzoli and Coty Buildings, and to construct an adjacent, 5-story building at 716 Fifth Avenue. On each of the three building façades, new but traditionally-inspired bronze and steel storefronts were installed at ground level, and the old slate and copper mansard roofs were restored. The three buildings were combined to include 80,000 SF of interior retail space, featuring a 4-story central atrium of French limestone and marble, surrounded by galleries lined with designer boutiques. The galleries offer direct views of the Coty Building's original cast lead-crystal glass window designed by the French Art Deco glass designer and craftsman, Rene Lalique. The four levels of the store are interconnected by new, elegantly proportioned staircases that recall the grandeur of the original 19th century mansions.

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