Shuchita Sancheti

The design is a proposal for a high-tech retail store eyewear store in Manhattan's Chinatown, inspired by the concept of the counterfeit. This project looks at counterfeiting as a process of metamorphosis. There is one original, which is copied many times over. With each copy there are slight changes, until the product or idea is completely different. The formal strategy of this design is based on the same concept; there is one origin point, from which stem multiple iterative forms. With each repetition, there is a change in size and angle. The spatial design is produced through implementing the formal strategy both in plan and section, resulting in a dynamic sculptural form with repetitive frames. The primary design element is the staircase, which integrates several sub-elements into the space. The floating stair is suspended from the ceiling, away from the ground. Zones for walking, sitting, and display areas are all integrated into the stair structure.