The Travel Agency, one of New York’s foremost legal cannabis retailers, recently opened a retail location at 598 Broadway in SoHo. As with all of the retailer’s stores, this new location promises to deliver the sensory experience of cannabis in a sculpted environment that fits seamlessly into the city while actively destigmatizing cannabis. Experimental and immersive, The Travel Agency is changing the dispensary experience.
A Space Inspired By an Art Gallery
Cultivating the feeling of a contemporary art gallery, The Travel Agency’s SoHo location was designed in collaboration with Leong Leong Architecture. The studio’s vision incorporated an open, illuminated space that carries an air of futurism and invites exploration. Further cooperation with Big Heavy Studios introduced museum-quality product displays, elevating cannabis products as in-store art installations.
A Dispensary for Art Installations
The product displays alone contribute to the art gallery feel, but including Breakfast Studio’s Andrew Zolty’s kinetic art installation contributes to the space’s unique environment. The installation focuses on a heartbeat-like motion driven by data, causing the dispensary to feel rhythmic and inhabited, even alive.
One of the most notable elements of The Travel Agency’s new location is the “Bong Gallery,” which further transforms cannabis tools into cultural artifacts in their own right. In this part of the dispensary, Serena Confalonieri of Milan has provided several colored bongs, and Mexican sculptor Juan Manuel Carmona shares the surreal “OLMi Bong.” This artistic vision is not only to invite people into the space, but to challenge their preconceptions about cannabis.
“The SoHo store is our most art-forward to date,” says The Travel Agency co-founder Arana Hankin-Biggers. “With custom installations and original artwork, we’re honoring the neighborhood’s rich artistic history while creating something entirely new for cannabis retail.”
A Brand Centered on Social Impact
The Travel Agency is proud to be a part of New York’s Social and Economic Equity (SEE) program, which ensures access and opportunity in the legal cannabis industry for historically marginalized communities. Each retailer’s location prioritizes inclusivity, empowerment, and reinvestment in the local community. While the business’s innovative designs may draw attention, this resolution makes it a true leader.
For its leadership in the cannabis industry, The Travel Agency has been recognized with Clio Awards in retail design, branding, and PR. For their direction, the retailer’s leadership team has featured in outlets like the Green Market Report and Inc. Magazine.
Contributing to the brand’s artistic and cultural feel, The Travel Agency has sponsored the New York Film Festival, hosted cannabis-integrated events during New York Fashion Week, the PUBLIC Hotel’s Met Gala after-party, and much more.
High-Quality Products
While the Travel Agency directs much of its attention toward the feeling of its space, creating community impact, and working with prominent cultural institutions, cannabis remains at the core of the business. The Travel Agency’s SoHo location promises the same high-quality products as its other locations, including local and national brands. The brand was made famous for its cannabis, and this location is set to continue in that tradition.
