Cadillac Taps Gensler and Visionaire to Create the Ultimate Un-Dealership
At the American automotive icon's Manhattan HQ, Cadillac introduces an innovative blend of art and commerce.
Step into the Cadillac House on a busy SoHo corner, and you're more likely to walk away with an iced coffee—and a side of inspiration—than a new car. But that's precisely the point at the new 12,000-square-foot showroom, part of the 114-year-old brand's plan to introduce a fresh concept of American luxury—with a little help from some very connected collaborators.
The gallery at Cadillac House is curated by the high-concept media company Visionaire, which envisions the space as a place to showcase ambitious cutting-edge art that might not otherwise find a home in a gallery or museum setting. The debut exhibition featured the first-ever U.S. show of Amsterdam-based artist Geoffrey Lillemon.
Courtesy of Cadillac
The brand called on architecture giant Gensler to design the showroom, which houses a lounge, coffee shop, gallery, and retail space meant to facilitate co-collaboration and interaction. To curate the cultural content, Cadillac tapped Visionaire, whose cofounder, Cecilia Dean sees the partnership as an opportunity to be "co-conspirators."
Titled HISS MISSY, the immersive experience, which combines digital video projections, a lighted runway, and fog machine, was chosen for its interactive element. And, in the age of social media, it's the perfect place to snap and share a selfie, the curators say.
Courtesy of Cadillac
Open to the public daily, Cadillac House is envisioned as a place where visitors can "come, get a coffee, and be blown away," Dean says.
Beyond the art world, Lillemon is probably best know for being the co-designer of Miley Cyrus's Bangerz World Tour. "Galleries are all about selling art. Someone like Geoffrey Lillemon doesn't have a place to showcase their work," says Visionaire's Cecilia Dean. She sees the Cadillac House gallery as a forum for a new type of public art.
Courtesy of Cadillac
Following up on its debut exhibition, HISSY MISSY by Geoffrey Lillemon, the gallery will continue to be a public forum for technology-forward art that might otherwise be difficult to show in a typical gallery setting."The art world hasn't caught up with digital," Dean explains. At Cadillac House, she plans to show work with "risk and confidence—without a corporate handcuff."
Designed by global architecture giant Gensler, Cadillac House offers public lounges that highlight the brand's latest signature offerings, without a sales pitch. Along with its rotating art exhibitions, that space invites visitors to stop at JOE Coffee or shop a boutique stocked with designed selected by the Council of American Fashion Designers.
Courtesy of Cadillac
Cadillac House is located at 330 Hudson Street in New York City.
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