Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées

Parisian boulevard Champs-Élysées: the belly button of the fashion world, a battleground of the dissatisfied left, and the finish line of the Tour de France. Everyone here tries to present themselves in the best light. To win the favor of your credit cards, retailers commission renowned architects for the designs of their stores. At the end of March this year, Danish star Bjarke Ingels made a mark on the boulevard when he opened another branch of the Galeries Lafayette retail chain (the first store opened on Rue La Fayette in Paris in 1893).
The store is located in the sumptuous art deco interior of a former bank from the 1930s. Original stone cladding on the floors, walls, and columns is complemented by new jewelry made of glass and steel. The entrance to the store through a light tunnel (which the authors call a "reversed canopy") teleports you into the world of haute couture. Suddenly, you find yourself in the midst of a vast hexagonal atrium, around which exhibits of individual fashion brands are arranged. Ingels' studio, through the choice of dazzling materials, aims not only to support the exclusivity of the offered goods but also to bring closer the spirit of the original art deco bank hall with its six marble columns surrounded by a golden ring of shelves.
B.I.G. created a "retail laboratory" on three floors, where attention is paid to each brand, resulting in a diverse sales area offering a range from sneakers to expensive jewelry. In addition to B.I.G., other prominent figures contributed to the interiors: the café Citron was designed by local fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus.
Galeries Lafayette on the Champs-Élysées offers not only fashion, but in the basement, you can taste foods that are arranged on towering tables according to individual flavors.