Lucky Brand store Beverly Hills by MNA

Lucky Brand sells shoes? To break away from its identity as solely a denim retailer, the company called upon MNA to transform a former Hanspree television store into a showcase for its housewares, shoes and accessories.

Upon discovering the store’s expansive metal beam infrastructure, architects redesigned the ceiling into a mansard shape to accommodate duct work. During the process a hidden skylight was discovered and opened, which worked toward Jeff Rudy’s (principal, MNA, New York) vision. “Something you see in California is openness to the environment … it’s a relaxed luxury that appeals to Beverly Hills,” Rudy says.

The largest hurdle was reconfiguring the lime-washed brick exterior: “In the previous design, the doorway was located on the right-hand side, which is a lower elevation,” Rudy explains. “To move the entry to the center of the store, we had to do a lot of re-grading to the interior and the sidewalk.”