Off-White Flagship Store | AMO/OMA

Located at 127 NE 41 Street, in the heart of the city’s dynamic and expanding Design District, the bi-floor space has been designed by Off-White’s founder and creative director, Virgil Abloh, together with AMO.

The store holds a number of distinct aesthetic markers, including an opaque polycarbonate facade. Through this exterior layer, Off-White’s new visual marker—a pair of hands extended upward—is visible above a bright orange “X,” another of the brand’s signatures. The ‘X’ overlays the word ‘SHOP’ indicating that this is not simply a shop. Instead Abloh and AMO developed a platform for Off-White’s diverse identity, driven by Abloh’s multidisciplinary engagement.

The flagship store explores the idea of the modern fulfilment centre, by offering visitors a physical community space for interaction and brand engagement. The multiplicity of activities and experiences to be explored, is facilitated by the flexibility of the space. A floor to ceiling movable wall, serves as a secondary façade, that can be pushed back inviting the public street into the brand’s perimeter. As such, a public space is created to host a variety of functions, such as public art display, mini catwalks and musical performances. The first floor’s flexible floorplan creates moments for more intimate and exclusive engagement with the world of Off- WhiteTM.

Befitting Miami and its warm temperatures, the floors are rendered in concrete, which helps in keeping the interior from overheating and are lightly stained. Shelving is done in stainless steel; rails in black marquina and white Carrara marble. Corrugated metal walls, mesh ceiling panels and tubular ceiling lights amplify Off-White’s industrial-blank canvas impression, referencing ‘fulfilment centre’ aesthetics, while a centrepiece staircase—finished in an electric blue—pays an unexpected, striking nod to the Magic City’s famed history of neon colour.

In total, the Miami flagship will feature 262 square meters of space, across two floors. Always seeking to merge fashion with art and pubic activities, Abloh has included a 1 square meter (441 square feet) stock room in his store, that will be visible to passers-by and shoppers through a completely transparent glass wall that is recessed within the building. To that point, the Miami flagship will also feature customizable elements in its layout and framework, with transformative fixtures that can rapidly change a retail floor into a multi-use event platform. All of the store’s furniture features wheels, for easier rearrangement. Flexibility is key.

Location: Miami, US
Client: Off-White
Status: Completed

Program: retail, 262m2

Director AMO: Samir Bantal

Team: Valentin Bansac, Fabrizio Esposito