The Harvard Cooperative Society (The COOP), a cornerstone of the Harvard and MIT communities since 1882, announced the grand opening of The COOP Concept Store, a prototype for a new model of retail shaped by culture, design, and discovery rather than transactions. The COOP Concept Store’s debut within The Atlas Hotel on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus (ERC), developed by Tishman Speyer, thoughtfully blurs the lines between bookstore, neighborhood, gathering place, and cultural destination.
“This concept store is our boldest statement yet about The COOP’s future,” said Jodi Goldstein, CEO of The COOP in a statement. “We think of it as a living lab — a place to experiment, learn, and reimagine how we serve our community. Every event we host, every product we introduce, and every conversation we have will help shape the future of The COOP across all locations.”
Goldstein added, “This is about much more than opening another store. It’s part of a broader transformation for The COOP as we evolve beyond retail into a destination for community, discovery and engagement so we can continue to serve our community in meaningful ways for another 150 years.”
The store’s design centers on warm woods, patinated copper, soft textiles, and globally sourced details that layer texture and depth into an intimate footprint. Floor-to-ceiling windows blur the boundary between the interior and an adjacent outdoor patio, flooding the store with natural light and creating a seamless connection to the street. Inside The COOP Concept Store, adaptable furnishings let the space
