Located on the iconic Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the historic Art Deco bank building from 1932 is uncovered and celebrated to create a carefully curated retail laboratory for the world’s leading fashion, food and lifestyle brands to come together with each other and the surrounding city. The 6,800m2 Galeries Lafayette concept store officially opened its doors to the public in Spring 2019, welcoming local and global shoppers into the restored Art Deco gem with a substantial restore project by danish design studio BIG. The generous four-story environment is the largest store on the famed Parisian boulevard and combines old world elegance with modern chic, hosting established and emerging brands, experiences and events.
BIG’s design pays tribute to the tactility and texture of the historical building. Throughout the store, visitors encounter precious materials and refined details from the past that are reinterpreted and deployed in a contemporary way. Walking around the lofty gallery-like space feels as moving through a composition of architectural elements that operate at the scale of furniture and create defined experiential shopping zones.
Through an inverse canopy on the street level shoppers are invited into the building.
A glowing bridge ushers life into the heart of the building.
The luminous hallway leads to a dramatic circular atrium covered by a monumental glass cupola that has been restored and uncovered for maximum daylight.
The atrium.
The restored glass cupola.
A grand staircase, which doubles as an auditorium during events, takes visitors to the mixed-use space on the first floor which features creative and emerging brands, as well as a denim lab, jewelry display, limited edition sneakers and tech products.
A continuous golden ring of perforated metal wraps around all of the columns and creates a series of rooms and alcoves facing the atrium.
From the ground floor, visitors are immediately able to see the upper levels enticing them to explore the different destinations and activities.
The upper levels of the store are more refined and continue the idea of furniture as artifact.
The top floor features a series of suspended glass vitrines that look like independent objects and can host a variety of experiences and activities visible from the lower levels.
On the second floor, shoppers can dine in the Oursin restaurant while enjoying views of the city or relax at the Citron coffee lounge on the 1st floor, both designed by French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus and operated by Caviar Kaspia. Meanwhile, the entire basement floor is a Parisian food court, where groceries and eateries are divided into sweet and savory sections and where massive counters are arranged around welcoming shared tables.
All pics © BIG
// Il nuovo concept store delle Galerie Lafayette, con i suoi 6800mq, ha ufficialmente aperto le sue porte al pubblico nella scorsa primavera, accogliendo clienti parigini e internazionali all’interno di questo gioiello dell’Art Deco, originariamente una banca, accuratamente ristrutturato dallo studio danese BIG. I quattro piani dello store combinano così la storica eleganza con lo chic attuale, ospitando all’interno dei suoi spazi brand emergenti ed affermati, esperienze ed eventi.
Il lavoro di BIG rende omaggio alla trama dell’edificio storico, offrendo ai visitatori la possibilità di toccare con mano materiali preziosi e rifiniti dettagli del passato oggi reinterpretati ed esplorati in maniera contemporanea. “Gli spazi si sviluppano e si trasformano attraverso artefatti architettonici che creano un ambiente fluido e unico.”
Così i visitatori vengono accompagnati attraverso un tunnel luminoso nel cuore dell’edificio, un teatrale atrio circolare sovrastato da una monumentale cupola di vetro, restaurata e scoperta per godere della massima luce naturale.
Una grande scala in marmo, porta i visitatori al primo piano che ospita i brand emergenti insieme ad un denim lab, una gioielleria, prodotti di tecnologia e sneakers di edizioni limitate.
dal pian terreno si scorgono immediatamente i piani superiore, attirando i clienti ad esplorare le varie destinazioni e attività.
Il piano più alto, infine, è caratterizzato da una serie di cubi in vetro indipendenti e aggettanti sull’atrio che danno accesso a diverse esperienze e attività visibili dai piani sottostanti.
Due i ristoranti (ovviamente alla moda): Oursin e il caffè Citron, progettati da Caviar Kaspia Group in collaborazione con il celebre fashion designer francese Jacquemus.
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