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| PROJECT: |
PAUL SMITH'S SECOND FLAGSHIP STORE. MILAN, ITALY |
| CLIENT: |
PAUL SMITH LTD |
| COMPLETION: |
2001 |
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We decided with Paul Smith that each flagship store should have a distinct character reflecting
the city in which it is situated. This would give us the
freedom to vary and develop the architecture within the
Paul Smith idiom. So long as sites can be found that are
typical of their city, then mixing the character of the
place with Paul's wide-reaching and eccentric ideas should
give the flagship stores individuality. In London, Westbourne
House is in a grand stucco townhouse in a smart but bohemian
residential district. In Milan, Paul Smith at the Palazzo
Gallarati Scotti is set within a vast 18th century palace
facing onto the noisy streets of Milan.
The store is in double-height rooms and galleries around
a former cloistered courtyard. There are intimate spaces
as well as dramatic views from the upper level. The idiosyncrasies
of the old building are accentuated, original details are
restored and new architectural elements fit loosely within
this space. New walls are built as illuminated glass panels
to contrast with the old walls which have been re-plastered
in the traditional italian way with an extra measure of
pink in the mix for vibrancy.
The original worn and cracked terrazzo floor was kept and
junctions with new brighter pink terrazzo are delineated
using mosaic. A new terrazzo stair is suspended from a hanging
glass panel. Display cabinets are simple glass boxes held
in steel straps. Antique furniture was bought for its decrepit
beauty and transformed by juxtaposition with unexpected
materials and inserts of glass. All elements from the architecture
to the furniture and fittings were designed or sourced by
SH Architects.
A third flagship store is planned for New York. |
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