The concept of retail shopping as an experience – manicured, elevated, or exaggerated – is inextricably linked to the history of the department store. Even early department stores, such as Paris’ Au Bon Marche, which opened in 1838, were centered around elevating the experience of shopping, with the addition of lounges, cafes, reading rooms, and, of course, cutting edge art and architecture. Indeed, in bemoaning the decline and fall of the department store over the last 50 years, a strong focus has been placed on the loss of such amenities and what it means for the experience of shopping in the 21st century. Now, faced with the present reality of online retail, stores such as Harrods in London, and Paris-based chain Printemps have begun to double down on the irreplaceable aspects of in-person shopping – including public art.
When the new iteration of Printemps opened in New York in 2025, it immediately made headlines through its reimagining of the brick-and-mortar retail experience into a richly designed, art-infused destination rather than simply a space for transactions. Housed in the landmark One Wall Street building and designed by architect Laura Gonzalez, the 55,000 sq ft space intertwines historic Art Deco architecture with contemporary art and high-design craftsmanship. Every zone of the store is conceived as a “room” or environment, each with distinct materials, installations and ambiance, including the iconic “Red Room”, which features 33-foot ceilings and red-to-gold mosaics by muralist Hildreth Meière. Art plays an active role throughout the store: large-scale installations, custom stained-glass panels, immersive LED ceilings and curated brand collaborations create a hybridized gallery and retail space. Even the store’s layout encourages wandering and discovery, rather than following a traditional aisle-and-checkout format.
Printemps New York is just one example of how art and design can serve not just as decoration, but as the primary language of retail experience, blurring boundaries between shopping, culture and architecture, and offering consumers a destination that invites lingering, exploration and emotional connection, not just browsing and buying.
In NorthPark Center in Dallas, TX, the atrium of the existing high-end shopping center became the permanent home of works by the world’s most prestigious contemporary artists, blurring the lines between gallery and shopping center. Likewise Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome in Miami, FL creates an immersive contemporary art experience in the middle of a new shopping plaza.
In many instances, art helps activate placemaking, turning underused or disinvested retail zones into viable “destinations” rather than just transaction zones. Art helps make a retail zone feel unique, instilling identity, making it memorable — which matters in an era where online shopping competes with physical. Standout examples include Paseo de Las Luces + Pioneer Plaza Street Project in El Paso, Texas, which imbues a forgotten corridor with retro, neon-dappled art to infuse it with a fresh sense of identity.
Examples include Yorkdale's Journey to the North Pole in Toronto, Ontario, which expands the ubiquitous “Mall Santa” into an immersive creative experience.
Art helps make a retail zone or storefront feel unique, instilling identity, and making it memorable, which matters in an era where online shopping competes with physical retail. Examples include the Frederic Malle store in Paris designed by Jakob + MacFarlane, or the CTF Beijing Longfor Lize Paradise Walk Shop in Beijing, designed by CODAaward-winning studio One Plus Partnership.
Public art can be a significant contributor to continuing the legacy of the elevated shopping experience; it is something that cannot be recreated online. While public art is not a silver bullet for a guaranteed, measurable sales impact, it is an invaluable and irreplaceable asset for cities to amplify their brick and mortar retail. What these interventions show us is that scale matters, and the more the art can contribute to a wholly unique, edifying experience, the greater its contribution to foot traffic, dwell time, sales, and public perception.
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