In SoHo, MoMA Design Store Embarks on a Colorful New Chapter
Peterson Rich Office revives the 1884 cast-iron landmark with restored details, inventive display systems, and a vibrant mural by Nina Chanel Abney
Cast-iron architecture has long shaped the identity of SoHo, where distinctive 19th-century facades still testify to the era’s craftsmanship. One such landmark, at 81 Spring Street, has housed the MoMA Design Store for more than two decades. Over time, though, its handsome architectural details—exposed masonry walls, tin ceilings, original columns—were diminished by wear, along with awkward circulation created by a corner entrance added during a prior renovation. A redesign beckoned, so this year the museum enlisted Peterson Rich Office to restore the structure’s framework and layer in modern interventions befitting a true design emporium. Spanning 6,600 square feet across two levels, the store now embraces its historic fabric while rethinking how visitors engage with the objects and art on view.
Peterson Rich Office approached the project with the building’s fabric as the backdrop. “Our typical approach in historic buildings is to use contemporary elements to highlight and reframe the original architecture,” explain founding partners Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich, who caught the museum’s attention after their 2023 renovation of Blu Dot’s showroom in Midtown. “Here, we inverted that strategy. Rather than adding interventions that call attention to the historic fabric, we let the 19th-century elements create a three-dimensional frame that showcases the contemporary retail experience within.” Complementing the restored framework are inventive flourishes that upend typical product displays. Chief among them are two giant perforated steel shelving systems painted a calming shade of blue. Casework fabricated on casters, meanwhile, lends flexibility, allowing the lower level to seamlessly open for gatherings and talks.
The entrance was also relocated to its original position at the center of the storefront, improving circulation and opening a direct sightline from Spring Street to the striking centerpiece: a colorful mural by Nina Chanel Abney. “For many people, the SoHo store is their first encounter with MoMA, so we designed the entire entry sequence around the mural,” Peterson and Rich observe. “It becomes a beacon that draws people in from the street, and once inside, visitors experience it as the focal point that organizes the entire space.”
Abney’s artwork inaugurates a program called Modern Mural, which brings contemporary art into the store through rotating site-specific commissions. Titled LOVE NYC, it spans the entire north wall and commands attention from outside. She employed her signature paper cut-out technique to collage symbols of New York—cobblestones, subways, street names—with iconic artworks from the museum’s collection, including Salvador Dalí’s melting clock draped over a tree and Marcel Duchamp’s readymade bicycle wheel placed opposite an actual bicycle for sale. Its prominent placement was strategic: “In Midtown, most visitors often come straight from the galleries, so the store works as an extension of that experience,” explains Jesse Goldstine, the museum’s chief retail officer. “Outside of our Midtown campus, the stores have to work as entry points into the MoMA ecosystem rather than exit points from the museum.”
That translates to more education, clearer storytelling, and sharper product curation. “Soho is our most New York–centric location, with more locals shopping in this store. The customer base has also been skewing younger each year,” adds Goldstine, who selected the product offerings by studying the habits of a younger clientele. “We’ve tailored the store layout and inventory to meet their specific needs while still ensuring we have something for everyone.”
Nearly half of the assortment debuts here. Highlights include a collaboration between Artek + Marimekko that presents a limited run of classic Alvar Aalto furnishings inlaid with exuberant Marimekko patterns, among them the iconic Stacking Stool and Bench. Parisian beauty brand Horace makes its U.S. retail debut with a lineup of clean, sustainable skincare. Longtime partner Izipizi offers exclusive editions of its popular sunglasses and readers in a signature blue using bio-based materials. Only NY for MoMA is contributing a distinctly local voice with apparel and home goods featuring an illustration by Micah Belamarich that playfully riffs on city life.
“This renovation strengthens the way we connect people to good design, making the experience feel more inclusive, inspiring, and dynamic,” Goldstine says. “We wanted to create a space where visitors don’t just shop, but also engage with the stories, ideas and creative thinking behind the objects surrounding them.”