Award-Winning Project · Retail Design Institute · 2025 Retail Experience of the Year
Photography: Ben Shani Creative
Quick Answer
CORCON built Nespresso's Flatiron Global Flagship at 85 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The 13,900-square-foot boutique spans two levels of the historic Annin Building and opened in December 2025. In October 2026, the Retail Design Institute named it the 2025 Retail Experience of the Year, along with four Outstanding Merit Awards.
Project at a glance
13,900
Square feet
2
Levels
Dec 2025
Opened
4
Outstanding Merit Awards, plus Retail Experience of the Year
Client
Nespresso USA
CORCON's role
General contractor
Location
85 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron District, Manhattan, New York
Building
The Annin Building, in the Ladies' Mile Historic District
Project
Flatiron Global Flagship, Nespresso's largest flagship of its kind worldwide and its first in North America built to the brand's new retail concept
Recognition
Retail Design Institute, 2025 Retail Experience of the Year, plus four Outstanding Merit Awards
Design
Bartolini | Lanzi Architects
Photography
Ben Shani Creative
What did CORCON build for Nespresso in the Flatiron District?
Nespresso's Flatiron Global Flagship is the brand's largest flagship of its kind and its first in North America to bring its new retail concept to life. CORCON served as general contractor, building a two-level, 13,900-square-foot boutique designed by Bartolini | Lanzi Architects for discovery, tasting and lingering, not just shopping.
The main floor holds Taste and Discover, a self-guided tasting area; the Coffee Theatre, where Nespresso coffee experts lead masterclasses; and the boutique itself, with sculpted display plinths, a tasting bar and a backlit Coffee Artistry wall. In the storefront, a 42,000-flap split-flap display by Oat Foundry nods to the mechanical signs that once drew shoppers along Fifth Avenue. A staircase wrapped in a floor-to-ceiling digital art wall leads down to The Hidden Cup, a speakeasy-style coffee bar, and the Nespresso Lounge, with self-service coffee machines and room to stay awhile.
How do you build a modern flagship inside a historic landmark?
The Annin Building sits in Manhattan's Ladies' Mile Historic District, once the city's grandest shopping corridor. The design kept the building's character front and center. CORCON preserved the original Corinthian columns and restored the historic moldings, then fit the store's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems into a shallow coffered ceiling without breaking the lines of the space.
Building inside a historic structure on Fifth Avenue adds its own demands: protecting original elements throughout construction, coordinating deliveries on one of Manhattan's busiest avenues, and solving existing conditions as walls and ceilings are opened up. That is the kind of work CORCON plans for from day one.
What finishes set the Nespresso flagship apart?
Nespresso's standards are some of the most demanding in retail: plaster finishes, chevron tile flooring, curved radiuses and level five finishes throughout. Level five is the highest standard for finishing drywall, a skim coat over the entire surface so walls read perfectly smooth under strong, angled light. In a space lit as carefully as this one, every surface, corner and transition shows.
This is not standard commercial construction. It is an elevated form of the craft, where the materials are premium, the tolerances are tight, and there is no room for anything less than excellence.
What awards has the Nespresso Flatiron flagship won?
In October 2026, the Retail Design Institute named the Nespresso Flatiron Global Flagship its 2025 Retail Experience of the Year at the 55th International Design Competition. The project also earned four Outstanding Merit Awards, for Architectural Elements; Sensory Engagement; Storytelling and Brand Communication; and Visual Merchandising and Display. Read the Retail Design Institute's write-up.
How long has CORCON worked with Nespresso?
Nespresso is a longtime CORCON client. What began with early projects alongside Nespresso's team has grown into a direct partnership. The Flatiron flagship is the most visible result so far: a project that demanded precision, artistry and high-end craftsmanship at every turn.
At CORCON, we thrive where the bar is set high. Our work with Nespresso shows what a construction partner can deliver when brand standards are non-negotiable and the schedule is fixed.
In the Press
Coverage of the Nespresso Flatiron flagship.
- Nespresso, New York, New York | Retail Experience of the Year | 55th International Design Competition · Retail Design Institute, October 2026
- Nespresso Opens New York City Flagship Boutique · PR Newswire (Nespresso USA), December 18, 2025
- Nespresso Opens NY Flagship · VMSD, December 18, 2025
- Nespresso opens largest flagship in New York City · Inside Retail US, December 19, 2025
- Nespresso launches flagship NYC location · Global Coffee Report, January 7, 2026
- Nespresso NYC: Digital Without Looking Digital · invidis, January 2026
- Nespresso's Luxury Coffee Shop Features Custom Split Flap Board · Oat Foundry, 2026
- Nespresso's Flatiron Flagship Features Massive 42,000-Flap Kinetic Display · National Today, February 5, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who built the Nespresso flagship in New York City?
CORCON was the general contractor for Nespresso's Flatiron Global Flagship at 85 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. CORCON is a national commercial general contractor headquartered in Garden City, New York, and a longtime Nespresso construction partner.
Where is the Nespresso Flatiron flagship?
At 85 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan's Flatiron District, inside the historic Annin Building in the Ladies' Mile Historic District.
How big is the Nespresso Flatiron flagship?
About 13,900 square feet over two levels. It is Nespresso's largest flagship of its kind worldwide and the first in North America built to the brand's new retail concept.
What award did the Nespresso Flatiron flagship win?
The Retail Design Institute named it the 2025 Retail Experience of the Year at its 55th International Design Competition. It also earned four Outstanding Merit Awards: Architectural Elements; Sensory Engagement; Storytelling and Brand Communication; and Visual Merchandising and Display.
What is The Hidden Cup?
The Hidden Cup is a speakeasy-style coffee bar on the flagship's lower level, where Nespresso serves signature coffee creations, zero-proof blends and a multisensory signature drink.
What is a level five finish?
Level five is the highest standard for finishing drywall. A thin skim coat covers the entire wall, so surfaces read perfectly smooth even under strong or angled light. Luxury retail spaces like the Nespresso flagship specify it because lighting is part of the design.
Does CORCON build flagship stores outside New York?
Yes. CORCON builds retail, restaurant and commercial spaces across 27 states, from single flagships to multi-location rollouts.
Planning a flagship or a multi-location rollout?
PROJECT CREDITS
Client: Nespresso USA · Design architect: Bartolini | Lanzi Architects · Split-flap installation: Oat Foundry, with NMBL · General contractor: CORCON · Photography: Ben Shani Creative
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