For a sneaker boutique in the revitalizing Harlem streetscape, River Architects was asked to help develop the design program for Sneaker Vault. A bank vault theme builds on the impression of sneakers as commodities, and customers buy shoes not just for wearing, but to “put them on ice”- to collect them. The collector’s edition sneakers are displayed in vitrines resembling safety deposit boxes, and jeans, t-shirts and accessories are displayed on check stands and a large vault wall. The preciousness idea is brought into the fitting rooms with custom designed gold bar wallpaper, and to the register, which resembles a bank teller’s desk.
