Joe Fresh Will "Respectfully Remodel" Landmarked 1950s Space

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

A few more details have emerged about Joe Fresh, the Canadian supermarket clothing brand that recently signed a lease for 510 Fifth Avenue at 43rd Street. The store will open in fall 2011 after what the company is calling a "respectful" renovation of its floors inside 510 Fifth. There's a reason for that careful wording—510 Fifth was a pioneer of Modernist design when it was built in 1954, and its historic decor has already become the subject of some controversy.

Activists began agitating to have the building's interiors landmarked earlier this month after some site-specific artwork by Harry Bertoia disappeared from the space. As it happens, the art legally belonged to former tenant JPMorgan Chase, and when they moved, they brought it with them. But while preservationists weren't able to get the art back, they did manage to achieve their landmarking goal, which means Joe Fresh can't tinker too much with the space. According to a press release issued yesterday, they're not going to make many changes—just add modern fixtures and give everything a clean white finish.
· Developer & People Who Hate Developers Agree on 510 Fifth [Curbed NY]
· 510 Fifth Avenue Interior Officially Gets Landmarked [Curbed NY]
· Get Ready for Joe Fresh, Canada's Amazing Supermarket Line [Racked NY]