Landmarks Committee reviews canopy recladding and halo-lit sign for Lululemon flagship at 524 Broadway

The committee reviewed a proposal to modify the commission-approved retail canopy and install halo-lit signage for a new Lululemon flagship at 524 Broadway in the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District.

Julie Rosen of Higgins Quaisbarth and Partners presented the proposal, joined by Sarah Ripple and other project team members. Rosen said the work is limited to the retail entry bay on Broadway: recladding the existing commission-approved canopy, adding a painted black 16-inch aluminum channel on the canopy perimeter, applying a translucent gray-scale film to the five existing glazed infill panels, and installing individually mounted halo-lit letters on the face of the new channel. She described the letters as 13.5 inches tall (the logo 14 inches), mounted approximately 1 inch off the canopy face with shielded backlighting. Rosen said the existing canopy structure would remain and that the work would avoid impacts to historic fabric; she noted LPC staff can approve halo-lit letters up to 18 inches tall but that the canopy redesign requires commission-level review because the two elements are proposed in combination.

Lululemon's Lisa Ewing, identified as senior director of global retail design, said the company is moving out of its existing nearby space and that the new location's signage would be the only Lululemon signage in the immediate area once the move is complete.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about dimensions, glazing film, and apparent rendering artifacts; the project team said two rendering issues showing altered pilasters and changed mullions were unintentional and would be corrected for the public hearing. Committee members noted the proposal fits within precedents along Broadway for canopy-mounted and halo-lit signage and that the scale of letters (13.5 inches) is below staff-level limits. One member said banners existing on Broadway are oversized but acknowledged banners were not before the committee because they were previously approved.

In business session the committee cleared the canopy recladding and halo-lit sign proposal to proceed to the September public hearing and requested corrected elevations to remove rendering artifacts; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.

Ending: The project team is calendared for a public hearing and will submit revised drawings showing corrected elevations and clarifications about canopy projection and materials.