Nespresso's Flatiron Flagship Features Massive 42,000-Flap Kinetic Display

The custom-built split-flap display from Oat Foundry transforms the storefront into an immersive experience.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Nespresso's new Flatiron flagship in New York City features a massive 100-square-foot split-flap display designed and fabricated by Philadelphia-based Oat Foundry. The 10.6-foot-by-9.7-foot analog display uses 42,000 flaps, 20 custom colors, and the Nespresso font to create dynamic brand imagery and patterns, drawing attention to the store before customers even enter.

Why it matters

The split-flap display blends modern retail strategy with tactile, mechanical visual storytelling, creating a memorable focal point in the cafe design without relying on digital screens. It reflects Nespresso's broader investment in the experience economy, where retail spaces are designed to create meaningful connections with customers.

The details

Integrated directly into the facade, the split-flap display turns movement into an experience, adding rhythm and a throwback sound to the low-fi coffee shop atmosphere. Oat Foundry's custom software allows Nespresso to control the display's content, including branded messaging and an interactive menu. At this scale, the modular display can accommodate over 1,500 characters.

  • Nespresso's new Flatiron flagship opened in February 2026.

The players

Oat Foundry

A Philadelphia-based creative engineering company that designed and fabricated the custom split-flap display for Nespresso.

NMBL

A New York City-based agency that partnered with Oat Foundry on the creation of the split-flap display.

Mark Kuhn

The CEO and co-founder of Oat Foundry, a mechanical engineer who has led the company for over 12 years and was recently elected to serve on the board of SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design).

Nespresso

The global coffee brand that commissioned the custom split-flap display for its new Flatiron flagship store in New York City, the brand's largest flagship boutique globally and its first in North America.

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What they’re saying

“Boring retail is dying. Attention isn't demanded, it's earned by compelling work. A split-flap display doesn't compete with noise; it cuts through it. There's so much disposable digital out there. Nespresso understood that durability and beauty aren't trade-offs.”

— Mark Kuhn, CEO and Co-Founder, Oat Foundry (digitalmedianet.com)

What’s next

Nespresso plans to continue expanding its experiential retail strategy, with the Flatiron flagship serving as a model for future flagship locations.

The takeaway

Nespresso's investment in a custom, large-scale split-flap display demonstrates how enterprise brands can create memorable, tactile experiences in retail spaces without relying solely on digital screens, blending modern strategy with analog storytelling to engage customers.