EV maker Rivian creates its first Concept Experience in New York’s Meatpacking District

Tucked away beneath the High Line is a new retail experience from one of the pioneers in the new era of electrification start-ups. The first Rivian Concept Experience expands and enhances the SUV brand’s retail presence, shifting gears from a regular showroom into something that offers more engagement and, crucially, brand building blocks.

The new venue goes further than the company’s usual ‘Spaces’, dedicated but conventional showrooms to exhibit the company’s range of heavy-duty electric trucks. This location in NYC’s Meatpacking District was Rivian’s original debut on the East Coast, following on from the first-ever Rivian Space in Venice, California. First opened in 2023, the 5,000 square space on 10th avenue has been overhauled and transformed into the first Rivian Concept Experience.

Wallpaper* spoke to the company’s VP of Marketing, Denise Cherry, about the new store and the company’s plans for its retail environments. ‘We’ve been thinking hard about how to approach this space,’ says Cherry, ‘we spent a year observing who came into the store. Often they had very little knowledge about the brand.’ The decision was taken to make the space more immersive and less like a conventional car showroom.

Currently, Rivian offers the all-electric R1T pick-up and R1S full-size SUV, both now in their second generation. In addition there are occasional special edition models as well as bespoke accessories like the travel kitchen and a roof tent for the R1S. New models are coming soon, starting with the smaller and more city-friendly R2, along with the pumped-up Euro-friendly super-hatchback stylings of the R3. All that stands between the company’s American success and a wider global reach is the issue of tariffs.

For now, Rivian’s biggest market is Southern California, with New York – City and state – a close second. With a background in retail design, development and architecture, Cherry has been at Rivian for nearly six years, well before the R1 models went on sale. The idea is to infuse the new space with a theme, linked to Rivian’s modern take on the traditional go-anywhere, all-action ethos of the family SUV.

For the first year, the theme is ’the adventure within us,’ described as a ‘celebration of what the vehicle allows you to do.’ The next two years of content have been planned out, with special focus on the arrival of the R2 next year. All Rivians are built at a factory in Normal, Illinois.

Wedged beneath the former freight line, the new Rivian Concept Experience is a warm, welcoming space. Cherry and her team have eschewed the traditional over-lit car-in-a-window approach in favour of a massed array of big-leafed plants as well as large display cabinets, shelves and booths. Informal seating and tables and chairs are scattered through the space, which has room for three cars.

The display cases form the external walls of a circular pavilion and contain interactive stories from some of Rivian’s brand ambassadors, alongside books, imagery and props that evoke a sense of discovery and adventure. Naturally, there’s a coffee bar as well.

Top of the wishlist is the desire to make Rivian a more prominent and proactive member of the neighbourhood. ‘We want to be embedded in the community,’ Cherry says, explaining how a programme of invite-only events and activations will enliven the space on a weekly basis. It’s also family-friendly, with children positively encouraged.

‘Every space is really thoughtfully done, right down to every last detail,’ she says, ‘it’s very intentional, just like our vehicles.’ All the shop-fitting is either custom-made or vintage (‘the only two routes we take’), with the idea of creating a warm and inviting environment, rather than feeling precious or exclusive as some upscale brands are wont to do. Custom millwork was by Brooklyn-based fabrication studio The New Motor, while the interactive elements were shaped by local creative agency Pink Sparrow.

Having cars present is obviously essential. ‘Car buying is a tactile experience,’ Cherry continues, ‘you want that physical touch.’ Although state laws prohibit customers from actually purchasing a vehicle there and then, there’ll be opportunities for local test drives (in the stop-start Manhattan traffic).