It’s not a pop-up. It’s not a brick-and-mortar retailer. It’s not — despite impressions to the contrary — a scene out of TRON.
It’s something new altogether.
Samsung’s freshly opened 837, an experiential wonderland, just descended on the Meatpacking district. The kicker: nothing is for sale.
“In the age of online shipping, we didn’t see the need for a retail space. This is meant to be a two-way conversation with our community,” said Zach Overton, Vice President and General Manager.
Open to the general public, it’s three floors of one-of-a-kind interactive experiences and a venue for tech-savvy cultural happenings.
We came. We saw. We didn’t want to leave.
Here are five things that are not to be missed.
The Mainstage
Stadium seating adjacent what is considered the world’s largest multimedia display, made from 96 55-inch visual displays. Content will range from live streams, demos and showcases to panels, presentations and screenings. Showing this week: pre-Oscar screenings. And at the base of the mainstage, there’s also room for live performances like the stellar Florence & the Machine show that rolled through for the opening launch.
There’s also a “Selfie Station,” wherein your capture gets displayed on the big screen. Word to the wise: get your angles right, cause you and everyone else is about to see that mug blown to 110-foot HD. Sorry ma.
VR, VR and more VR
In the VR Tunnel, you can literally surround yourself with social media. The immersive experience is a mirror-bottomed tube that transports you to the inside of your own Instagram. The tunnel will feature rotating themes like travel, family, sports, fashion and festivals. We went through twice.
There are also two rows of chairs plugged into VR headsets that offer immersive adventures like the quick trip we took to Jurassic Park. Taking it one step further: the 4D chairs Samsung rolled out at CES, which combine hydraulic seats with the headsets. No joke: you have to buckle in for the rollercoaster ride. We did it three times.
The Playroom
A dedicated space for family-friendly activities, classes and workshops. Currently, little ones and big ones alike can use a digital inscribing tool to create custom phone cases.
The Studio
A radio, music and DJ studio hosting podcasts, live sets, recordings and celebrity interviews.
The Kitchen & Cafe
The only way to check out kitchen appliances from here on out is to go take them for a digital test drive. While you’re there, you’re likely to find a notorious chef demonstrating his/her skills, like April Bloomfield serving up some fresh crudo at the launch. Next door, a Cafe curated by Smorgasburg is on hand for snagging a coffee and pastry and relaxing.
Coming up, Samsung 837 will partner with its neighbors at the Whitney, scientists, innovators and creative leaders to churn out a continuous and ever-changing schedule of creative programming.
You can check out their upcoming events here.
The future has never felt so real.
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