Restoration Hardware, the California-based seller of high-end modern furniture and reinterpreted classics, plans to erect a four-story showroom and store in Edina.

The company on Wednesday submitted plans to the city that detailed its intentions to build the new structure in the southwest corner of Southdale Center near the Edina water tower at France Avenue S. and W. 69th Street.

The development would resemble other free-standing galleries built in the past few years in Chicago, Denver and Boston. The showrooms are key to a strategy to double in size to about $4 billion in annual revenue and offer the largest collection of luxury furniture in the country.

"This new, next generation RH Galleries are proven to be a destination within the communities they reside," according to documents submitted for Restoration Hardware by Hobbs+Black Architects. "This unique destination attraction will generate customers and sales to neighboring businesses."

Restoration Hardware for months explored several different options for Edina because its lease in the nearby Galleria will expire in 2018.

The new showroom will offer more than 50,000 square feet of retail space and a full-service cafe and wine vault. On the top level, designers plan an outside courtyard with a glass-enclosed conservatory.

"The vision with RH Edina is to re-imagine the retail experience by blurring the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, physical and digital — creating an environment that is more home than store," the company said in a letter to the city.

The proposal will be scheduled for review by the Edina Planning Commission and Edina City Council in the coming weeks, said Bill Neuendorf, the city's economic development manager.

"This is an exciting proposal for not only Edina, but for the Twin Cities as well," Edina City Manager Scott Neal wrote in an e-mail. "It's going to be an exciting addition to Edina's regional retail furniture sector."

Furniture stores dot France Avenue from Southdale down to Interstate 494. In the Galleria, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel and anchor Gabberts compete with the existing Restoration Hardware store. Also along the street are sizable showrooms for Macy's, Room & Board and West Elm.

With its palace-like showrooms, Restoration Hardware has embraced the retail-as-destination concept as other companies and mall operators have to compete with the convenience and range of online shopping.

Its most ambitious new store is in Chicago, where it restored the century-old Three Arts Club building and enclosed its courtyard.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495

Twitter: @nicolenorfleet