In the heart of Paris, in the prestigious Boulevard Haussmann, rises up the historical building which hosts the main mall of Printemps chain. The building has been totally renewed: Paolo Castelli S.p.A. handled the entire fitout of custom made and standard furniture on 7 floors, in beauté, enfant and maison areas.
The renovation plan put together different designers of international reputation. Design studio Antonio Citterio & Patricia Viel handled the floor dedicated to beauté: the beauty salon at level -1 and the areas dedicated to perfumery and luxury at 0 and 1st floors. The project is characterised by the use of precious materials: structural and multi-coloured glass, oak wood in different finishing, varnished metal in pearl and golden shadows.
Renowned architect Sarah Lavoine designed the floors used for decoration and furniture, taking inspiration from Haussmann architecture: wall and freestanding showcases, corridors enriched by huge scenery recalling the windows of the historical building of Paris in XIX century, everything connected by Blue Lavoine, chromatic detail which identifies the signature of this French architect. The reference mark is to interior mood of French houses, characterised by juxtaposition of coloured lacquering and metals, like copper and gold, which enhance the neighbouring environment. The 6th floor is assigned to enfant, with and ironic and contemporary project developed directly by Printemps. Showcases and storage, unashamed lines recalling baby games, basic materials coming from a world of fantasy and amusement.
During the realisation of this important international project the main challenge has been the management of a multi-level construction site in really short time: the site coordination supervised two teams – one during night time and the other during day time – which alternated working up on three floors simultaneously, interacting with the logistic of construction site. Eventually the building has been renewed but keeps the taste of magazin of fin de siècle.