Solid Objectives Idenburg Liu Lends Its Design DNA to Issey Miyake’s New Store

Five days ago in New York, Issey Miyake opened its latest store at 45 Madison Avenue. Housed within the landmark New York Life Building, originally designed by Cass Gilbert, the space spans 13,000 square feet across two floors that overlook Madison Square Park, marking a significant new chapter for the house. 

Balancing historic grandeur with the contemporary innovation that has long defined the fashion brand’s world, the new store was designed by New York-based architecture firm Solid Objectives Idenburg Liu. Original Beaux-Arts details—like arched windows, exposed steel, and soaring ceilings—are paired with transparent structural glass, aluminum, and stainless steel details that feel understated and ambitious. 

Central to the atmosphere is a monumental glass staircase, engineered to appear weightless, reflecting the same spirit of material experimentation and boundary-pushing found throughout Issey Miyake’s design philosophy. Elsewhere, thoughtful gestures toward longevity and reuse—including repurposed elements from the brand’s former Tribeca flagship—underscore a quieter commitment to sustainability and permanence.

Leading the project is architect Jing Liu, whose work consistently bridges cultural sensitivity, architectural rigor, and collaborative experimentation. Alongside the introduction of MADO—the first gallery space within an Issey Miyake store outside Japan—the new flagship positions itself not simply as a retail destination, but as an evolving platform for dialogue between fashion, architecture, art, and the city itself.

Whitewall spoke with Liu about transparency and materiality, designing within a historic landmark, and translating Issey Miyake’s globally influential ethos into a distinctly New York experience.

WW: The new Issey Miyake flagship sits within the New York Life Building, originally designed by Cass Gilbert. How did working within a historic landmark shape its new, more contemporary identity?

JL: We stripped the interior back to its essence-its steel-studded columns, arched windows, and high ceilings, and we restored them to the extent we could. What we inserted, for functional reasons, we tried to make them as tight, precise, and invisible (literally) as possible, so the old and the new co-exist in equal parts. I would say that’s the triumph of the new: to restore, respect, and recede.

WW: The store’s central glass staircase is both a technical and visual focal point. Can you walk us through the conceptual and engineering process behind this element? What role does transparency plays in shaping the overall spatial experience

JL: Similar to above, we wanted people to feel a kind of suspension of disbelief. The surface you walk on is concrete and feels solid. However, it is suspended and supported by transparent glass, which is actually quite strong despite its visual transparency. I think Issey approaches clothing in a similar way, always challenging perceptions, pushing the boundaries of what materials can do, and experimenting with new technologies.

Old and New in Architectural Conversation

WW: Your work often navigates the relationship between material experimentation and precision. Here, we see a juxtaposition of exposed Beaux-Arts elements with aluminum, stainless steel, and glass. How did you develop this material language, and what kind of atmosphere were you hoping to create?

JL: Yes, juxtaposing the old technologies and materials, i.e., cast iron and steel, against stainless steel and aluminum. It’s a joy to see time in architecture. How our materials and technologies have changed over time, and the visual language they inform.

WW: Natural light and the store’s connection to Madison Square Park seem integral to the design. How did the surrounding urban context influence your decisions around openness and visibility? The flow between interior and exterior?

JL: In all of our work, we try to bring the outside into the interior. The Cass Gilbert neo-Gothic sensibility had a similar desire, hence the tall arched windows. So we tried to bring that to life in the space.

WW: Sustainability and circularity appear in subtle but meaningful ways—like repurposing elements from the previous TriBeCa location. Can you tell us more about those aspects in the space?

JL: I think it’s imperative to think about material longevity and circularity in our consumption-driven age. What we were able to save and repurpose from the old store is not at all at the scale that’s meaningful but I hope that by showing it’s possible and try to draw an aesthetic from it is meaningful for the conversation. What’s more meaningful is that the Gehry store existed for 25 years, and throughout our conversation with the Issey team, we intended to design a store that will be used for at least 25 years. Longevity is another important aspect of sustainability.

MADO and the Evolution of the Retail Experience

WW: The inclusion of MADO as a gallery space in the store adds a cultural layer beyond traditional retail. How did you approach designing a space that can shift between commerce and exhibition? What does that duality and hybridity mean to you?

JL: Issey Miyake has looked beyond fashion, collaborating with dancers, photographers, artists etc. This is another aspect that we felt very much aligned with the brand. We collaborate often with artists of different mediums and always find joy and inspiration from these collaborations. In fact, we will have a show in September in MADO and will showcase some of our collaborations.

WW: Jing, your work is often described as globally informed yet locally grounded. For this new space, how did Issey Miyake’s design philosophy and legacy shape your approach? How did you translate that into a distinctly New York context?

JL: I think Issey Miyake’s focus on design, material, and technology is forward-looking and universal, but it is also informed by a particular optimistic Japanese sensibility and pursuit for perfection. I think our approach to design is similar-forward-looking, optimistic, international and precise, but with a sense of curiosity and openness that’s certainly very New York.

What’s Next for SO–IL

WW: What else are you working on in 2026? 

JL: We are under construction with a museum in Massachusetts and working on the design of an entire mix-use neighborhood in Boulder, CO. The most exciting one is our own studio, in Brooklyn, which will include an exhibition and event space, and will open at the end of May!