"Meta Lab is being pitched as a "people-first experiential retail space," which in practice means a hands-on environment where visitors can test drive the company's AI-powered glasses and virtual reality headsets, with an emphasis on play, discovery and creative expression. The idea is to demystify emerging tech by letting people actually use it, which is how shopping used to work anyway."
"Each Meta Lab location is shaped by its neighborhood, co-created with local artists and communities around a distinct creative theme. In New York, that theme is skate culture, capturing the city's countercultural energy through a mix of art, history and hands-on experiences."
"The space features an archival wall and timeline from Zoo York tracing NYC skate culture from the 1960s to today, alongside a coffee shop serving drinks from Buddies Coffee Roasters, founded by former pro skater Taylor Nawrocki and Rachel Nieves. Visitors can also explore a multi-dimensional mural from pro skater Zered Bassett's "Paper Skaters" series."
Meta signed a 10-year lease for a 15,000-square-foot townhouse at 697 Fifth Avenue to establish Meta Lab, its first East Coast flagship retail concept. The space functions as a people-first experiential retail environment where visitors can test Meta's AI-powered glasses and virtual reality headsets. Each Meta Lab location is designed around a distinct creative theme shaped by its neighborhood and co-created with local artists. New York's location centers on skate culture, featuring an archival wall from Zoo York documenting NYC skate history from the 1960s onward, a coffee shop by former pro skater Taylor Nawrocki, a multi-dimensional mural by pro skater Zered Bassett, merchandise from Rookie Skateboards, and an interactive gallery using Meta glasses to explore skate culture's evolution throughout the city.
#meta-retail-expansion #experiential-retail #vr-and-ai-technology #fifth-avenue-flagship #skate-culture
Read at Time Out New York
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