L’Oréal Academy

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Located at Hudson Yards, the L’Oréal Academy transforms former retail space into a flexible, high-capacity learning environment that strengthens professional engagement and long-term brand growth.

Location

New York, New York

Client

L’Oreal

Expertise

Consumer Goods Retail & Consumer Experience [FPO] Climate Action [FPO] Sustainability Education

Opportunity

For L’Oréal, education is both a service and a driver of growth. The company needed a flagship that reflected its leadership in professional beauty.

Professional education is a key growth driver for L’Oréal Professional Products, reaching 31% of U.S. hairstylists and supporting 400,000 stylists and colorists annually. As techniques, technology, and creator culture evolve, the company needed a flagship that could strengthen those relationships while replacing an outdated training model. The Hudson Yards site offered proximity to L’Oréal’s headquarters, but its deep mall floorplate, limited natural light, and semi-public setting demanded a new approach to visibility, flexibility, and technical performance.

Why This Matters

01
Investing in Experience
Integrating education, product testing, and content creation gives L’Oréal a more connected platform for learning, feedback, innovation, and professional engagement across its global portfolio.
02
Designing for Adaptability
A multi-brand academy must evolve with trends, teaching formats, and new technologies, giving L’Oréal flexibility to adapt the experience without rebuilding it around each program.
03
Advancing Sustainable Performance
L’Oréal envisioned the Academy as a future-ready learning environment where sustainability supports long-term growth, pairing high-performance systems and resource-conscious choices with the demands of professional education.

Opening this state-of-the-art academy dedicated to the professional is another strategic step in building long-term growth for this amazing profession.

Solution

Gensler reimagined the former retail space as a purpose-built learning and engagement hub adjacent to L’Oréal’s headquarters.

The design maximizes natural light through added glazing and high ceiling volumes, addressing the site’s deep floorplate. A shared reception acts as a central connector between three distinct program areas. Flexible classrooms accommodate varying group sizes, while dedicated studios support hands-on training, filming, and social media production. A neutral palette allows the space to adapt across L’Oréal’s multi-brand portfolio, supporting evolving learning formats and evolving uses.

L’Oréal Academy significantly increases capacity for professional training, enabling higher volumes of participants and more immersive, hands-on learning experiences.

The Academy turns professional education into a growth platform, making education central to L’Oréal’s brand, strengthening its market position and driving sustained business growth.

What Changed Because of This

01
More Capacity
Flexible classrooms and specialized studios accommodate more participants, formats, and disciplines, giving L’Oréal greater capacity to deliver hands-on education in New York.
02
Expanded Reach
Integrated content studios and livestreaming tools extend learning beyond the room, helping L’Oréal connect education, creator programming, and professional visibility across channels.
03
Sustainable Principles Applied
LEED Gold performance and Gjosa Water Saver salon faucets translate L’Oréal’s sustainability ambitions into lower resource use and a more responsible learning environment.

Recognition

01

American Salon

The Hudson Yards Academy was spotlighted for Gensler’s design, including LEED Gold certification, true-color lighting, livestreaming technology, flexible spaces, and water-saving fixtures.

02

WWD

L’Oréal’s Gensler-designed Academy was spotlighted as a New York mega-hub for stylist education, content creation, and professional engagement.

Team

Project Leadership

Joseph Lauro

As Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, Joseph Lauro’s leadership has strengthened the firm’s long-term vision by expanding practice area expertise, enhancing the firmwide architectural practice, and advancing the firm’s climate action efforts.

Jean Anderson

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[FPO] Geoffrey Salvatore

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FAQ

01

Where is the L’Oreal Academy in New York City?

The 13,000-square-foot flagship L’Oréal Academy is located at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, adjacent to L’Oréal USA’s headquarters. The state-of-the-art education hub replaces standalone facilities such as the former Redken Exchange, creating a shared destination for the company’s professional portfolio.

02

Who designed the flagship L’Oreal Academy and L’Oreal Headquarters?

Gensler designed the flagship L’Oréal Academy at Hudson Yards in New York City, adjacent to L’Oréal USA’s headquarters, also designed by Gensler.

03

How did Gensler adapt former retail space for the L’Oréal Academy?

Gensler introduced glazing, higher ceiling volumes, flexible partitions, and specialized technical infrastructure to bring light into the deep floorplate and support professional learning.

04

How does the L’Oréal Academy support multiple programs in one space?

A shared reception connects three distinct program areas, while flexible classrooms, specialized studios, and adaptable partitions allow each function to operate independently or together.

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Related Expertise

Consumer Goods Retail & Consumer Experience Climate Action Sustainability Education

Located at Hudson Yards, the L’Oréal Academy transforms former retail space into a flexible, high-capacity learning environment that strengthens professional engagement and long-term brand growth.

For L’Oréal, education is both a service and a driver of growth. The company needed a flagship that reflected its leadership in professional beauty.

Why This Matters

Gensler reimagined the former retail space as a purpose-built learning and engagement hub adjacent to L’Oréal’s headquarters.

L’Oréal Academy significantly increases capacity for professional training, enabling higher volumes of participants and more immersive, hands-on learning experiences.

What Changed Because of This