In the heart of Manhattan’s historic Chinatown, a quiet revolution in analog and digital hybrid photography is taking root. Along the bustling corridor of Allen Street, camera and film brand Manual has planted its flag, debuting its very first permanent brick-and-mortar storefront and photo lab. Designed in collaboration with the cross-disciplinary design-build studio Protean Practice, the space marries raw industrial grit with soft, tactile modernism. Outfitted with Baltic birch plywood seating, sleek metallic finishes, and punctuating baby-pink accents, the Manual Photo Lab functions as equal parts retail destination, community hub, and functional workspace. This opening marks a significant milestone for Manual. Founded in 2017, the brand carved out a niche in the contemporary photography market by producing accessible, pocket-sized, translucent digital cameras like the Holo—which exposes its own internal battery and underworkings—alongside disposable cameras and traditional film stocks. Until now, the company lived primarily online and through temporary pop-up installations. With the launch of its Allen Street headquarters, Manual has transitioned from an ephemeral digital-age brand into a tangible, physical anchor for a new generation of creators. Main Facts: Architecture, Materials, and Program Occupying a former point-of-sale (POS) supply store, the Manual Photo Lab is cleverly divided into distinct programmatic zones. Visitors entering the street-level space are greeted by an expansive retail floor, while a striking baby-pink privacy curtain at the rear conceals the operational heart of the shop. The spatial material palette tells a story of thoughtful material reuse and industrial homage: The Facade and Polycarbonate Bulkhead: The storefront features floor-to-ceiling glass topped by a translucent polycarbonate upper bulkhead. This modern translucent layer deliberately exposes the 1800s brickwork of historic storefronts past, bridging New York City’s architectural layers. Cold-Rolled Steel and Custom Millwork: The interior side walls are lined with cold-rolled steel panels. Near the entrance, designer and fabricator Ian Chapin cut an oversized, backlit steel pegboard into the wall system to display Manual’s product lineup. Baltic Birch Seating: A sprawling, multi-tiered Baltic birch plywood seating structure anchors the left side of the room. Inspired by the minimalist furniture design of American legends Ward Bennett and Joe D’Urso, the platform features a low front lip flush with the window edge, encouraging casual lounging. Acoustic and Visual Accents: Custom aluminum shelving toward the back displays zines and independent publications. Overhead, corner-mounted speakers crafted by Miami-based studio Lupo blend plywood, pink, and steel elements. Art curation by the Silvertooth Agency and a commissioned painting by artist Leon Xu lend the space a gallery-like sensibility. Chronology: From Pop-Ups to a Permanent Chinatown Anchor The journey to the Manual Photo Lab reflects the brand’s organic growth and the iterative nature of its physical architecture. 2017: Manual is founded, entering the market with an emphasis on accessible image-making tools, releasing items like the translucent Holo digital camera and branded film stocks. 2017–2025: The brand operates primarily through digital channels and intermittent pop-up spaces, testing the appetite for its nostalgic yet forward-thinking aesthetic among younger urban photographers. Late 2025: Manual secures a former POS supply store on Allen Street in Chinatown, partnering with design-build studio Protean Practice—founded in 2022 by apparel designer Saji Abu-Gold and photographer Steven Traylor—to conceptualize the permanent storefront. Construction & Demolition Phase: During renovation, Protean Practice strips away layers of old vinyl signage and a giant neon sign above the entrance. Rather than replacing the structure entirely, the team uncovers a unique, albeit uneven, structural skeletal frame. They strip it down and re-sheath it in polycarbonate, simultaneously restoring a hidden fluorescent light behind the bulkhead. Opening (Late 2026): The Manual Photo Lab officially opens its doors to the public. The installation of the polycarbonate facade and interior elements is completed at night, revealing a glowing refraction effect that intentionally mirrors the flashlight shining through the translucent plastic shell of the Holo camera. Supporting Data and Technical Specifications The transformation of the Allen Street storefront highlights a growing trend in urban retail design: circular economy principles, localized sourcing, and adaptive reuse. Site Location: Allen Street, Manhattan, New York City (historic Chinatown commercial corridor). Square Footage & Layout: Divided into a front retail and gathering zone with a multi-tiered birch seating unit, transitioning to a rear operational core masked by a floor-to-ceiling pink textile curtain. Film Processing Logistics: While customers can drop off rolls of film directly at the Manual counter, the brand maintains a collaborative partnership with a family-owned, long-standing film processing lab located in Flatbush, Brooklyn, utilizing dedicated couriers to transport film back and forth. Design Pedigree: Protean Practice operates across Los Angeles, New York City, and London. The studio’s overarching ethos prioritizes low-emission practices, localized material sourcing, and the preservation of existing site conditions—a methodology prominently displayed in the retention of the 1800s brickwork and structural sign framing at the Allen Street address. Official Responses and Design Intentions The underlying philosophy guiding the lab’s creation is rooted in the communal, highly social culture traditionally associated with skate shops. "We thought of it as making us home base for photographers," Manual founder Malcolm Dia explained in an interview with design publication Dezeen. "There is a wall of product and ways to inspire yourself, ways to interact, and then the other half is an area to hang out and chill. It’s kind of like the philosophy of a skate shop." Dia envisions the storefront as a welcoming portal for young creatives. "A big reason why I wanted to make the stores was to make it for the kids who come down the street and pick up their digital camera or roll of film for the very first time, and we want to be that for them, the next generation," he added. From a design perspective, Protean Practice co-founder Saji Abu-Gold emphasized how physical objects influenced spatial choices. The decision to use polycarbonate paneling on the exterior bulkhead and interior ceiling was a direct nod to the translucent casing of Manual’s flagship Holo camera, which reveals interior components like batteries and circuitry. Recalling the late-night completion of the facade, Abu-Gold noted, "We finished installation at night, and it had this refraction effect that is similar to the flashlight coming through the plastic of the Holo camera, so it ended up working out really well." Regarding the custom birch seating structure—designed with cues from Joe D’Urso—Abu-Gold detailed the functional breakdown: "At the front, we met the platform with the lip of the window edge, which is something [D’Urso] did often, and then [we] brought up the tiers further throughout the store. The lower lip allows visitors to sit on the floor comfortably without it being an actual floor, while the upper level encourages people to stay awhile." Implications for Chinatown’s Retail Landscape and Analog Revival The arrival of the Manual Photo Lab arrives at a complex time for Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood. The district is currently experiencing a dual wave of hyper-targeted modern interventions and massive civic shifts. Just blocks away, architecture studio Spaced Agency recently completed a street-level expansion for the legendary, decades-old Chinese restaurant Wo Hop, while heavily contested plans for a new Manhattan borough jail loom large over neighborhood discourse. Against this backdrop, Manual’s entry into the retail landscape is deliberately respectful of its neighbors. Dia has been vocal about ensuring the shop does not encroach upon or compete with long-standing community fixtures, such as Sammy Photo Lab or Elize Digital—the latter of which recently captured viral internet fame for its classic Chinatown passport photography. Instead of siphoning existing clientele, Manual aims to curate an entry point for an emerging demographic of analog enthusiasts discovering physical media for the first time. By merging low-emission architectural practices, historic preservation, and community-centric retail design, Protean Practice and Manual have created a blueprint for modern downtown commerce. The Manual Photo Lab is not merely a place to purchase a camera; it is a physical manifestation of a digital-age brand choosing to put down deep, tactile roots in the concrete and brick of New York City. Project Credits Design: Saji Abu-Gold (Protean Practice) Creative Direction: Manual Construction Lead: Agim Lamaj Millwork Collaborator: Matthew Avoletta Stainless Peg Wall Fabrication: Ian Chapin (Edsel Co.) Sound System: Lupo Studio Photography: Olympia Shannon Post navigation Cooper Hewitt Unveils Landmark Multi-Year Exhibition: “Design Across Time” Opens at the Carnegie Mansion
