It’s skateboarding culture meets contemporary design meets classic New York City, fused by eco-sensitive products and practices. etnies, the worldwide skateboarding shoe and apparel brand, opened the doors to its flagship New York City showroom this spring, celebrating the brand’s 20th anniversary and leaving its permanent stamp on NYC’s thriving cultural scene. The project transformed a neglected landmark structure into a modern, multi-functional space exemplifying etnies’ commitment to preserving the environment and preserving the spirit of action sports.

“We found an incredible three-story building in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, but it needed a full renovation,” said Pierre Andre Senizergues, CEO of Sole Technology (parent company to the etnies brand). “I am very passionate about the environment and wanted this be a green project, minimizing waste and using non-toxic content throughout construction and development.”

To fulfill the vision of his showroom project, Senizergues commissioned a team including designer Xavier Llongueras and assistant designers Justin Winters and Norioshi Kudo of Studio X in Hollywood, CA; architect Conrad Roncati of Architectura in Edgewater, NJ; etnies project managers Scott Hopper and Gilles De La Pointe; and general contractor, JPM Construction.

Formerly used as a sound studio, the building was in poor condition with small dark rooms, moldy carpets, poor lighting, and rotten stairwells among other issues. The team began by determining what existing materials could be recycled and reused. In the end, some original framing and ceiling grids were salvaged, however the cast iron exterior was the only feature left completely in tact.

The first floor showroom is now a bright, modern area with open ceilings and exposed air ducts, featuring custom product shelving, kitchenette, and a back office section. The basement is an open art gallery space and the second floor hosts an executive suite and lounge area complete with custom bar. Topping it all off in true skate style, the rooftop deck has a mini skateboarding ramp and graffiti wall.

“Since the building limited us to a very narrow space only 25 feet wide, we incorporated simple, yet bold designs to make the space dynamic,” commented Roncati. “For example, the new stair that circulates between all of the floors and the roof terrace is open and visually connects all of the levels as it is adjacent to a three-story glass wall that further unites the floors.”

Eco-sensitive materials were implemented in nearly every detail of the construction and design.

Highlights include:

• Walls—FIBEROCK Brand Aqua-Tough Gypsum Interior Panels made of 95 percent certified recycled content, supplied by USG; Benjamin Moore Eco Spec Interior Latex paint with low-VOC
• Flooring—natural bamboo flooring from Wood Flooring International’s Bamtex Collection
• Furniture—recycled cardboard chairs, including the Rocking Chaise and Davis Italic, by Levy Design and Manufacturing, from www.carboardchairs.com; the Scrapile Bench, made with scrap wood and non-toxic adhesives and the Spoon Lounge, made with Liana vines, among other green furniture purchased through Vivavi
• Custom Pieces—including shelving and cabinetry, armoire, storage unit, kitchenette, and wet bar; all incorporating eco-friendly composite materials such as oriented strand board (OSB), paperstone, wheatboard, BIOFIBERTM, and Dakota BurlTM; designed by Studio X and built by North Brooklyn Architectural Millwork

“We were able to really open up the interior, creating a clean, breathable, and energized space without destroying the integrity of the building,” said Llongueras. “The design inspiration was to mesh street skate culture with a modern organic feel through a combination of raw and polished elements and curved lines representing the movements of skateboarding.”

Resulting from a year of renovation efforts and a total build-out cost at around $150 per square foot, the etnies showroom is a stand-out destination for the hard core skate fan, as well as the casual observer who appreciates sport fashion, art and eclectic design.