When Mango secured an 8,800-square-foot former Banana Republic space in Lincoln Square for their third NYC flagship, they faced a tight timeline and a critical retail challenge: how do you drive customers to a lower level in a two-floor store? 

The challenge: transform a closed retail space into a functioning flagship in time for the critical Black Friday shopping season, while solving the endemic problem of underperforming lower floors that plague multi-level retail. 

A strategic move was relocating the main staircase to the cellar level. Rather than customers descending to a basement, they now enter into an active retail environment. This circulation redesign fundamentally changed how shoppers experience the space—the lower level became integrated into the shopping journey, not an afterthought. 

The result: Mango opened their doors before Black Friday 2025, meeting their revenue-critical deadline. The relocated staircase proved successful in driving traffic to both floors, maximizing the full 8,800 square feet of selling space. 

Project Scope: 

• Location: Lincoln Square, New York City 
• Client: Mango (third NYC flagship location) 
• Size: 8,800 square feet across two floors 
• Timeline: Site visit Winter 2024, construction Spring 2025, opened before Black Friday 2025 
• Key challenge: Two-floor circulation and seasonal opening deadline 
• Strategic solution: Relocated main staircase to activate lower level 

Project Details

• Location: New York, NY, United States 
• Area: 13.367 SF
• Year: 2025