Dutch firm MVRDV has spearheaded the renovation of a 19th-century Haussman structure to house the new 3,760-square-foot flagship for French lingerie brand Etam. Located in the city’s 9th Arrondissement, the ritzy retail space is free of all internal barriers and outfitted with a glass floor to complement the revealing and intimate nature of the lingerie on display.
“The revealing—but directional—glassification of the store allows for a delicate balance between transparency and privacy, for intimacy and distance, unravelling the beauty of Haussmann and Etam’s products, users, and visitors,” says MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. “The Etam flagship store is the first time we have brought these approaches to a building where so much of the existing structure must be maintained.”
The façade was stripped back to highlight the building’s clean, classical appearance. Once inside, customers are greeted by abundant glass that infuses natural light. The street level glass floor is transparent at angles but clouded from directly above or below, which allows for sunlight to filter into the basement. Accessible via a grand central staircase, the basement is lined with light wood floors inspired by the cobbled streets of Paris during the 19th century. Onsite renovations also yielded the creation of five-ton pivoting doorway in order to preserve the open layout. MVRDV collaborated with stone experts to ensure the element easily rotated back and forth into place.
