Retail Therapy: Alchemist

While no precious metals are being magically minted, Alchemist still a fitting name for the store that has helped to transform Miami’s 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage into an architecturally gobsmacking retail destination. And it’s about to get even better.

The parking garage isn’t so bad itself—having been designed by the starchitect firm Herzog & de Meuron. But it was Alchemist’s 1,800-square-foot Rene Gonzalez-designed transparent box, dropped in amongst the perked cars on the fifth floor of the structure, that first made people stand up and take note—and, of course, shop for designer threads from the likes of Rodarte and Rick Owens.

Now, Alchemist is opening a second location, this time on the ground floor. The new space was also designed by Gonzalez, but it’s an entirely different experience— a womb-like space insulated with Melamine foam to help patrons disconnect from the chaos and noise of Lincoln Road. All that calm will no doubt encourage some serious browsing time, for everything from their 50-plus lines of RTW and accessories from Alaia, Givenchy and others to cold pressed juices and rare collectibles like a Keith Haring coloring book from 1981.

Alchemist, 1111 Lincoln Road shopalchemist.com