Mazza Gallerie Facade Renovation

Washington, DC

The facade of the Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie was previously a modernist box with few windows, small doors, and little presence on the street. Cooper Carry’s design team removed the knife-edged corner of the building and installed a three-story glass box and retail window, which faces a major gateway intersection at the border of Maryland and the District of Columbia. The design team created additional retail windows along the street; brightened and enlarged the Metrorail and Neiman Marcus entrances; and installed a series of sun shades and canopies that wrap the façade and create a pedestrian-scaled street. At night, the canopy undersides are illuminated with programmable LED fixtures that create a dynamic beacon for pedestrians. Sculptor Lonnie Hanzon custom-designed the 2,000-pound hanging butterfly installation of metal and iridescent glass that occupies the three-story glass corner. Construction was completed in November 2006.