Bjarke Ingels’s New Galeries Lafayette Fuses Historic and Contemporary Styles in Paris
Though it was once a bank, a stately Art Deco building on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, in Paris, has been transformed into a sleek, modern shopping mecca designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The new Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées, which opened this past weekend, is a sprawling 70,000-square-foot space made of marble, glass, and steel.
In a statement, Ingels called the project a “pragmatic utopia,” mixing minimalist function with extravagant beauty. The rose-hued marble in the interior fits in well with the romantic City of Light and is peppered with gold-lined touches that are spread throughout the space’s four floors.
What exactly is a “pragmatic utopia?” According to Ingels, it’s a type of architecture that steers clear of boring white boxes. It also avoids what he calls “the naive utopian ideas of digital formalism.” Here, he fuses convention with concept, tapping into his personal motto: “Yes is more.”
The building has a long, storied history. Théophile Bader, the founder of Galeries Lafayette, first bought the land in 1927, hoping to expand the brand there. However, the project was stalled at the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. Bader was forced to stop construction and sell the plot to the First National City Bank, which built its own structure on the site in 1932. Oddly enough, 92 years later, the same plot of land has ultimately fulfilled Bader’s wish by becoming a brand new Galeries Lafayette.
Eclectic additions make the interior very non-banklike: Six suspended glass boxes crown the central foyer; pop-ups showcase new brands every month; and a so-called stairway podium—a glass and gold-hued stairwell facing the street—allows visitors to people-watch on the shopping avenue.
Ingels said that the space is meant to “create an environment that’s both fluid and unique,” adding that “our project is a tribute to the architectural materials and traditions of the past.” Galeries Lafayette has also helped restore the nearby Champs-Elysées fountains, which were first built in 1863. Now they are home to six artworks designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.
There is also a light installation in the main atrium of the shopping center, created by the Danish art collective Superflex. It’s titled Après Vous, Le Déluge (which translates to “After You, the Flood”). Crowning the atrium at 15 feet above sea level, the dotted blue line represents the ocean’s estimated water level 100 years in the future. “The work appeals to our collective conscious and encourages us to produce and consume sustainably,” said Superflex in a statement. Undoubtedly, it is a subtle yet pointed piece.
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