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Camper, the shoe empire out of Spain, is shedding lots of light on the corner of Greene and Prince in Soho, where their second outpost on the block is now ready for shoppers. The Camper name shines from within the one-story shop, big white 3M Di-Noc block letters glowing on a blazing red background. Inside, shoe shoppers will find the Camper Together collaborations, matching designers and new ideas from around the world.
The Times reports that the store was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, known for his Metal Shutter Houses near the High Line and his ongoing work with viable housing options in post-tsunami Japan. The footwear is stashed in cubbyholes tucked behind the Camper letters and displayed across rows of bench-chair mash-ups zipping across the interior.
The new Camp-site is nestled beneath the grand tromp l'oeil cast iron mural by artist Richard Haas that's overlooked this corner since 1975. Back in 2009, Camper proposed to put up a new building here, an unpopular plan of artistic obliteration that never came to pass. Instead Camper opted for a big pop of red within the existing building, where shoes are king.
· Camper Together [Camper website]
· Scouting Report [NY Times]
· Soho's Faux Facade Threatened By New Building 'Obliteration' [Curbed NY]