completion

1997.09

location

Rue des Rosiers, Paris

photo

Hisao Suzuki

A boutique on the ground floor of a 19th century building in the Marais area of Paris. To respect the qualities of the city Paris: the landscape, the history, the irregular floor plan, and the facade that is subject to cityscape preservation regulations. So, I started the design by respecting the historical qualities of the building. While leaving the basic floor plan and the facade, the existing balustrade and the cornices of the ceiling basically untouched, I have introduced a thick plate of galvanized steel, timber wall, frosted glass, black lacquer and aluminum furniture. With the minimal number of elements inserted, a space comes to life. I thought that through the minimum and the silent forms of materiality, it would be possible to confront the decorative culture of the city of Paris. It might sound a bit exaggerated, this work is somehow my answer for the creating possibilities by an oriental architect in a European context.