Somerset Collection Studio

Client: The Somerset Collection
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Size: Approximately, 1500 sf

Somerset Collection is a successful luxury regional shopping mall located in Troy, Michigan.  Originally constructed in a one-story arrangement in 1969, Somerset Collection has evolved into its successful form today. Somerset Collection remain one of the most successful shopping centers in the U.S.  For more than a decade, Somerset Collection has supported the improvement and expansion of retail in the City of Detroit, the regional center of Southeast Michigan.  Through the years, Somerset Collection has provided this demonstrative retail energy through numerous retail pop-up venues in Downtown Detroit.  During that same decade, the Detroit CBD has thrived.  Detroit has become a destination for business relocation. Sports and entertainment venues keep activity well into the evenings. The central city and surrounding neighborhoods have become a culinary hub for the Midwest.

In a continuing gesture of support for demonstrative retail in Detroit, Somerset Collection decided to convert its pop-up retail to a permanent retail location in the heart of Detroit’s central business district.  Located in the recently converted Metropolitan Building, street retail will live in this location.  Intended as a permanent event space for Somerset Collection tenants, there will be a rotating tenant agenda of tenant displays and events.

In its simplest description, the design task was to create a white box space for each tenant to imaginatively convert to display their own branded environment.  An existing historic retail space was completely demolished along with a portion of an upper-level mezzanine. This was to be no typical white box.  In this case the white box was designed as a white “jewel” box.  It was set up with a custom white terrazzo floor, simple exterior graphics, and a custom, yet flexible retail lighting system.  The space which is located on John R Avenue and connected with the lobby of the Element hotel is an elegant retail space ready for many conversions to come.  It includes a small lobby connected to the hotel lobby which is open 24 hours that contains both retail vending machines and delivery lockers.  Merchandise if available 24/7, and items purchased online can be delivered downtown within 24 hours.

This page contains an example of the conversion of the space for an early conversion of the white box that was custom tailored by luxury retailer Max Mara for their 70-year anniversary and is a first example of what is to come for future events.