In this context, Prada decided to "take the bull by the horns" and accept the challenge entrusted to the New York design studio 2×4, which was tasked with creating a proposal in line with the City Council's new expectations for installing the scaffolding structure that would be necessary while the renovations to its Fifth Avenue headquarters were underway.
The proposal, a marketing opportunity that the brand did not miss, was more interesting and elegant than those of some of its competitors (Louis Vuitton, just a few blocks north, recently presented a proposal in which its scaffolding and fabrics were shaped like its suitcases), and was resolved with the installation of layers of semi-transparent tissue paper in a subtle Prada green. This dual result combines the image of the construction process with an elegant aesthetic, transforming what is normally a functional safety requirement into an attractive urban landscape that enhances Prada's unique aesthetic heritage.
The façade meets all requirements of typical scaffolding. Photograph by Bridgit Beyer, courtesy of Prada.
An envelope of everyday materials that take on an unusual appearance. A semi-transparent, double-layered skin with a moiré effect that constantly changes with the light, the weather, and the viewing angle. At dusk, a grid of lights aligned with the scaffolding seems to dissolve the outer layer, revealing the underlying structure. Instead of being a screen that conceals the construction and maintenance, the intervention becomes an opportunity that extends the brand's language.
“Typically, the solution is a kind of billboard. In our case, instead of concealing the construction and maintenance, we used them to express Prada’s unique aesthetic heritage. Through color, prints, and the moiré effect, the scaffolding becomes an extension of the brand’s language, rather than a mere screen. We see it as a way to integrate the brand into the fabric of the city.”
Michael Rock, 2x4 Design LLC.
Prada 5th Ave Facade by 2x4 Design. Photograph by Bridgit Beyer, courtesy of Prada.
Project description by 2×4
In collaboration with our long-time partners at Prada, our Environments team designed a bespoke temporary scaffolding structure and skin for the Prada building at the corner of 5th Avenue and 56th Street. The meticulously detailed design using standard commercial pipe scaffolding elements reflects Prada’s enduring interest in dualities: industrial/refined, functional/decorative, familiar/uncanny. A double-layer, semi-transparent scrim wrapper creates a moiré effect that constantly shifts with changing light, weather, and viewing angle.
As the sky darkens, a lighting grid aligned with the scaffold seems to dissolve the outer layer, revealing the structural framework beneath. Rather than hiding construction and maintenance, we leverage them as an opportunity to express Prada’s unique aesthetic heritage. Through color, pattern, and moiré, the scaffold becomes an extension of the brand language rather than a screen; a branding of and in the structure of the city.
