Sainte-Chapelle is neither the largest nor the most ornate of all the religious spaces in Paris, but the 13th-century private reliquary of King Louis IX nevertheless numbers among the city’s loveliest and most memorable sacred interiors. The chapel, not unlike a bespoke, architectural-scale jewel box, previously held some of the most important relics in medieval Christendom, assembled from across Europe. Though the objects were removed during the French Revolution, dazzling stained glass windows and soaring cerulean-hued ceilings still give a quality of weightlessness to the space. The harmonious beauty of the space, now an homage to the objects Sainte-Chapelle once contained, makes taking a turn inside the chamber an all-immersive experience, completely removed from the surrounding din of central Paris.
In New York — where consumerism, not religion, is the preferred path to transcendence — Chamber, a recently opened design boutique, is akin to the city’s own modern-day Sainte-Chapelle. Located on the ground floor of the Neil Denari-designed HL23 condos in Chelsea, its unassuming storefront, tucked right below the High Line, reveals a luminous interior filled with limited edition design, vintage objects, and art pieces.
Founder Juan Garcia Mosqueda, who previously worked for Murray Moss, cites both the reliquary and the cabinet of curiosities as sources of inspiration for his project to establish a platform for design experimentation. Interior architect Hilary Sample of MOS extended the religious metaphor, citing “the idea of a kind of sacred relic” as inspiration for the ceiling’s barrel vaults. Chamber’s stock includes weird wonders, updated for the 21st century: a sculpture made from the ashes of a 17th-generation chicken by a Belgian artist-cum-avian breeder; glass lamps shaped like breasts by Studio Job in collaboration with Venini; and an antique china cabinet updated to play musical tunes at the drop of a coin, by newcomer Jelle Mastenbroek. The resulting enterprise isn’t a quite a gallery (no exclusivity over the designers it sells), but it isn’t just a store (the attention paid to displayed objects and architectural details goes far beyond the basic need to turn a profit). Just as the name suggests, it’s an intimate space for discovery and reflection — and purchase.
Mosqueda’s approach to retail is decidedly unusual: every two years, he plans to invite one designer or creative to curate and custom-commission 100 objects to be sold for that period in the boutique. For his inaugural collection, the proprietor entrusted curatorial responsibilities to Antwerp-based design firm Studio Job, which spent a year and a half conceiving, sourcing, and designing the shop’s wares. “What I wanted to do is to create a kind of wunderkammer with pieces from all over the world — a real mish mash, not only design and not only art,” explained Job Smeets, who, together with partner Nynke Tynagel, organized the current display. “And that it would look like someone collected all these items throughout their lifetime.” The selection reflects Smeets’s Dutch origins, his absurdist humor, and the scope of his own collecting habit. The results are deeply personal: “Everything that is in here could have been in my collection,” he said.
Chamber’s atypical business model is reflected in its idiosyncratic merchandise. Mosqueda gave his curators carte blanche to commission new pieces, collaborate with fellow designers and manufacturers, and feature vintage objects. His emphasis is on quality over quantity: “You want to have the most iconic piece from each designer.” Fifty-five of those works are currently on display, and as the shop sells pieces, new ones will be taken out of storage until the entire 100 are spoken for.
The entry corridor is lined with smaller pieces: Studio Job worked with earthenware makers Royal Tichelaar Makkum and chef Sergio Herman to design a leaning étagère. Available exclusively at Chamber, the cake display features seven white porcelain plates Studio Job originally created as individual pieces for Herman stacked along a hammered bronze spine. There’s also a drawing by Denari rendered in neon lights and original records by David Bowie and Joy Division. In the back, larger items like a custom bicycle by Van Heesch Design, a 1950s penguin chair that Studio Job commissioned three graphic designers to create new upholstery for, and monumental light bulbs that Studio Job designed in concert with glass designer Alex de Witte. Like the merchandise, the price points vary: a rainbow-hued dishcloth by Kooistra sells for $50, but a doll created by fashion designers Viktor and Rolf decked out in miniature versions of their clothes sells for $75,000.
“Everything has its own context,” said Smeets as he walked through the store. “I have frames like this,” he said, pointing to a Jakob Smits painting for which he created a custom, bright blue frame. “I have the Viktor and Rolf doll in my collection. The David Bowie record first pressing, that was the first record I ever bought.” Each piece is a relic in its own right. And as with medieval relics, it’s easy to imagine pilgrims — faithful to design — flocking to see what Chamber has in store.
