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Softville, a 2,500-square-foot concept space combining rotating art, design objects and desserts, is open daily at 137 Orchard Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The project brings together Studio Jeremyville and Gelato Messina, making it the Australian gelato brand’s North American debut.
Softville, a 2,500-square-foot art-and-dessert concept store, is open daily at 137 Orchard Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Created by New York-based art and design practice Studio Jeremyville and Australian gelato brand Gelato Messina, the space pairs rotating exhibitions and saleable design objects with a made-to-order dessert menu, marking Gelato Messina’s North American debut.
Softville is set inside the neighborhood’s former Ben Freedman department store. The project worked with interior designer Sarah Carpenter to retain and restore the building’s original 1920s curved glass storefront, while carrying its rounded forms into the interior. Warm wood seating and a vanilla-toned palette balance the curves, according to the source report.
A flexible shelving and display system is designed to accommodate changing exhibitions while protecting the building’s architectural finishes and millwork. Large, characterful sculptures appear in the windows, alongside a shop collection of art and objects visitors can purchase. The arrangement puts viewing and buying design work alongside eating, rather than separating the food operation from the art displays.
The dessert kitchen is led by Eva Wintersteen, formerly executive pastry chef with the Il Buco restaurant group, working with Gelato Messina executive chef Tom Mitchell. The report says the menu combines the brand’s gelato-making approach with Wintersteen’s pastry work and unconventional flavor pairings. Gelato Messina’s signature gelato-style soft serve is made with fresh milk sourced from Hudson Valley dairy Ronnybrook Farm Dairy; the company says it does not use pre-made mixes.
A Store Built Around Art and Dessert
Softville brings together two businesses and several kinds of visitor experience in one Lower East Side address: a dessert shop, an exhibition space and a retail setting for design objects. For neighborhood visitors, that means the project is not presented solely as a new place to eat or as a conventional gallery. Its model makes the art part of an everyday outing, with food and changing displays sharing the same space.
The location also gives the opening a local architectural dimension. The founders and designer retained the former department store’s curved street-facing windows, rather than treating the building as a blank interior. That choice connects the new business to a structure with a history in the neighborhood, while the window sculptures give passersby a visible introduction to the concept.
For Gelato Messina, the site is an entry into the North American market, while the partnership gives Studio Jeremyville a permanent venue for a program that extends beyond object sales. The source report describes plans for drawing clubs, creative workshops and other cultural programming. How often those events will take place, and how the exhibition schedule will work, has not been specified.
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The Partnership and Preserved Storefront
Softville grows out of a collaboration between Studio Jeremyville and Gelato Messina that the report says has lasted more than two decades. The companies’ shared project now brings their work together in a physical space: Studio Jeremyville contributes the art and design concept, while Gelato Messina supplies its dessert operation and gelato expertise.
The address was previously occupied by the Ben Freedman department store. The report identifies its original curved glass storefront as a feature the project chose to preserve and notes that the building can be seen in the film Marty Supreme. Interior designer Sarah Carpenter extended the storefront’s curves into the room and developed flexible displays intended to support future exhibition changes.
Softville’s format combines food service and cultural activity rather than operating as a gallery with a separate café. Studio Jeremyville creative director and co-founder Megan Mair described the founders’ idea as allowing creativity to be experienced through ordinary activities such as sharing dessert. The source presents the venue as open daily at 137 Orchard Street.
“The Lower East Side has always been defined by its creative energy, independent spirit, and layered history.”
— Megan Mair, creative director and co-founder of Studio Jeremyville
Opening Details Still Unreported
The source report does not state when Softville opened, provide its hours beyond saying it is open daily, or give prices and a full menu. It also does not list the first exhibition, describe how frequently displays will change, or set dates for the drawing clubs and workshops.
Although the report calls the opening Gelato Messina’s North American debut, it does not give details about any further locations or expansion plans. The report also offers no visitor figures or business projections, so the opening’s commercial performance and audience response are not yet known.
Exhibitions and Events to Come
Softville’s stated plans include an evolving exhibition roster, drawing clubs and creative workshops led by artist Jeremyville and guest artists. The flexible display system is intended to accommodate changing shows, but the source report does not provide a schedule or announce specific upcoming artists and events.
The venue is listed as open daily at 137 Orchard Street. Visitors seeking current hours, menu details or event dates will need to check information released directly by Softville; those details are not included in the source report.
Key Questions
What is Softville?
Softville is a 2,500-square-foot Lower East Side concept store combining art and design displays with a dessert kitchen. It was created by Studio Jeremyville and Gelato Messina.
Where is Softville located?
Softville is at 137 Orchard Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The source report says it is open daily but does not provide specific hours.
What desserts does Softville serve?
The report describes a menu developed by pastry chef Eva Wintersteen and Gelato Messina executive chef Tom Mitchell, including gelato-style soft serve and playful pastry combinations. It does not give a full menu or prices.
What makes this Gelato Messina’s North American debut?
The source report identifies Softville as the Australian gelato brand’s North American debut. It does not say whether additional North American locations are planned.
Will Softville host art events?
Yes. The report says the venue plans drawing clubs and creative workshops led by Jeremyville and guest artists, alongside an evolving cultural program. Dates and event details have not been provided in the source material.
Source: rss
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