The two-storey flagship store in Beverly Hills is the third to feature the new concept developed by David Chipperfield Architects Milan since November 2012.
The store is located on North Rodeo Drive in a three-block stretch between the Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards, where David Chipperfield Architects Milan already designed flagship stores for Dolce&Gabbana and Valentino. North Rodeo Drive is renowned internationally for its luxury-goods stores and forms part of the larger business district.
Externally, the flagship features a two-storey monolithic façade in red marble (Languedoc) incorporating a series of large openings that reveal the depth of the façade.
In a similar way to the façade of the nearby Valentino store which was built in blue limestone (Petit Granit) in 2011, the idea is to create a sense of permanence new to this typology.
Internally, the store employs an evolution of the concept ideas previously applied to the London and Tokyo stores. The space is arranged along a rectangular floor plan that adheres to the typical long and narrow plot along Rodeo Drive. However, the sinuous timber wall within this rectangle generates a series of softer spaces. It also serves as a flexible display system onto which a variety of hanging, shelving and lighting elements can be attached.
Image © Santi Caleca