This Hermes Boutique in Paris is a wonderful architectural surprise coming from RDAI, the agency responsible with designing every Hermes store around the world. Customers never expects to find such a breathtaking design inside when they pass by the store. The entrance is discreet, set at the foot of a 1930’s apartment building.
From here, the curious visitor enters what seems to be a whole new world, created in Hotel Lutetia’s former swimming pool, which became a Historic Monument in 2005. RDAI had to keep in mind the fact that the essential traits and the personality of this swimming pool had to be preserved regardless the changes they would make. For this reason, they only made one major modification: they covered the pool with a new floor, set on a light structure. Under this fake floor, the pool has remained unchanged and is perfectly preserved.
But what comes next is the real element of surprise. Four immense hut-like structures were brought in to ‘populate’ the swimming pool. Flaunting a fluid, organic design, each pavilion is different from the others in shape and they all are self-supporting structures. Three of them nestle Hermes collections, while the fourth one is actually flanking the staircase in order to create a gradual transition from the real world to the new one that opens in front of the guest.
Every single detail about this place – the original Art Deco elements, the new impressive volumes or the mosaic that’s reminiscent of the old swimming poll – only makes sense when put together with the other elements around it. Browse the pictures below and try to notice the complexity of this RDAI creation.
