Balenciaga Flagship Store in Paris
With the reopening of its boutique in the Rue St Honoré last spring, Parisian fashion label Balenciaga made a big splash. Working closely with Demna Gvasalia, chief designer for the label, interior and lighting specialists Gonzalez Haase sought inspiration in old factories and warehouses. The sharp-edged, cool-looking interior design looks as if made out of one mould. The monochrome colour spectrum of the materials and surfaces used creates an extreme contrast with the exclusive designer clothing on display. Sturdy-looking counters made of folded stainless steel, manually applied shotcrete surfaces on the walls and reflective aluminium foils on the ceiling tell stories about textile manufacturing processes. A sophisticated lighting concept ensures uniform brightness. Steel profiles running from wall to wall offer three different light sources: indirect cool ceiling light, visible fluorescent tubes with a low colour temperature and LED spotlights. The ingenious transport system contributes greatly to the industrial aesthetics: Stainless steel tubes and hangers branch out connecting display cabinets, changing rooms and storage spaces. They allow for the manual transport of clothing items across the boutique and emphasise the transparency of the room. With the Balenciaga flagship store Gonzalez Haase has delivered a trenchant commentary on the future of analogue shopping experiences in an era of online virtual retail.
