When Cadillac relocated its global headquarters from Detroit to New York City in 2015, it wasn’t just a change of address for the luxury vehicle maker, a division of General Motors.
According to Nathan Tan, Associate Director of Brand Partnerships and Experiences at Global Cadillac, the move was “part of a historic investment and redirection for the brand.”
“Although we knew that industry insiders would know about the move, we wanted a more visible, public presence for the brand in order to further cement Cadillac in its new New York home,” says Tan. “That realization was the genesis of Cadillac House.”Cadillac House is located on the ground floor of the company’s global HQ in SoHo. It includes a public meeting space, café with drop-in work area, art gallery, a fashion-oriented retail shop, and an array of the latest Cadillac vehicles. The space, which officially opened in 2016, was developed in collaboration with the design firm Gensler.
“While our products and brand are certainly part of the experience, we didn’t want to create a corporate dealership or showroom the way many of our competitors have already done,” says Tan.
The gallery and retail spaces are frequently updated with new displays, while Joe Coffee, a local, family-owned coffee shop, serves up drinks daily. Tan says that Cadillac House welcomes about 500 people every day, and that the space is often used to host events like fashion shows, art openings, and film screenings.
The space aims to be a meeting place for innovators inside and outside of the company, Tan says.
“Cadillac House inspires innovation across the company by connecting us with leading-edge businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, thought leaders, fashion designers, and influencers,” says Tan. “It also serves as a direct conduit for our employees to our target [market], ensuring that our work is not done in an ivory tower. At any given time on any given day, Cadillac House is just an elevator ride away, and our employees can see and engage with dozens of the young, creative class New Yorkers that have now built Cadillac House into their daily routine. It also provides us with a platform to showcase our latest innovations, whether that be our latest concept car, like the Escala, which took up residence at Cadillac House for a few weeks in the fall, or a virtual reality platform for next-generation car configuration and shopping, which will debut at Cadillac House later this year.”
