Reform x Norm Architects: Danish Design Meets New York's Industrial Legacy

Located in New York City’s dynamic Dumbo neighborhood, the Reform showroom finds its home between the iconic Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Surrounded by a blend of lush greenery and historic industrial architecture, this space artfully balances grandeur with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The design, inspired by the city’s iconic monuments, uses monochrome surfaces as a canvas, allowing each kitchen to tell its own story and inspiring visitors to imagine their own dream spaces.

The Reform showroom in Dumbo, NY, is more than a display space; it is a branded environment that balances grandeur with coherence, allowing customers to focus on each unique kitchen design.

Drawing inspiration from the grandeur of the building itself – marked by high ceilings and an industrial aesthetic – a tactile warmth was introduced to the raw and spacious environment through carefully selected materials, creating an inviting atmosphere.
Still, the monochrome surfaces of the space, inspired by the city’s monumental architecture, serve as a neutral backdrop that lets each kitchen tell its own story, inspiring personal dreams, and aspirations.

With a focus on symmetry and clean, bold expressions, the space presents a thoughtful reinterpretation of a monolith, transforming the traditional notion of a singular and imposing structure into a dynamic and innovative element. This modern reimagining retains the monolith’s inherent sense of unity and presence but adapts it to better integrate with the space and its surroundings. By reworking its form and function, the reinterpretation adds a new layer of accessibility and engagement, blending the monolith’s powerful presence with a more contemporary and approachable design that caters to the needs of both staff and customers – a central and cohesive feature that resonates with the showroom’s modern aesthetic and anchors the overall design.

The overall layout encourages exploration, with the integrated kitchens revealing themselves progressively as one moves around the monolith. A central meeting room doubles as a passageway, enhancing the flow and creating a sense of openness.
More than a showroom, this curated space not only showcases Reform’s ever-growing collection but also accommodates the evolving needs of events and office functions, making it a dynamic platform for the brand’s future growth.

The use of contrasting materiality creates a dynamic interplay where each element highlights the qualities of its opposite. Smooth surfaces are accentuated by rough textures, while cool, sleek metals draw attention to the warmth of natural wood. This deliberate juxtaposition not only enhances the individual characteristics of each material but also brings a sense of balance and harmony to the space.

The design employs a thoughtful arrangement of elements, building layer upon layer to reveal intricate textures and pique interest. This approach allows for elements to open up and offer glimpses into different areas of function, creating a sense of transparency and intrigue.

Kitchens are inhabited by people and personalities. No two homes are alike, and each new space comes with its own range of needs. Therefore, Reform has made it their mission to offer a wide range of modern, people-centered design solutions that cater to the changing demands of their customers.

This commitment to flexibility and personalization mirrors our own approach at Norm Architects, where we prioritize creating spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also deeply responsive to the individual needs of the user.

Our shared values in human-centered design and our commitment to quality, functionality, and aesthetic harmony make our collaboration a natural fit, with each project reflecting a deep understanding of the diverse ways people live and interact with their surroundings.

When entering the space, the contemporary approach to architectural details, colors, and materials gives you a sense of the unexpected. Vast vertical surfaces and monochrome installations dominate the environment, creating a striking yet harmonious atmosphere. This blend of innovation and coherence ensures that, despite the grand scale, the showroom allows customers to focus on each design. The result is an experience that feels both surprising and thoughtfully curated, where every detail invites deeper exploration.

The showroom draws inspiration from the building’s inherent grandeur, with its soaring ceilings and industrial aesthetic. To complement this raw space, we introduced tactile warmth and softness through the use of natural materials and carefully selected colors, ensuring that the environment exudes a welcoming and inviting atmosphere.

Information Details
Interior Architecture: Norm Architects
Client: Reform
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Photographer: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
For media inquiries, please contact ejs@normcph.com
For general inquiries, please contact info@normcph.com
Norm Architects
Købmagergade 3a, 3tv
1150 Copenhagen
Denmark
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@normarchitects