Stores for Jacquemus in London and Paris by OMA

In Paris and London, OMA have designed the shops for the southern French fashion label Jacquemus, developing multi-layered design scenarios despite material self-restraint.

The three stores for Jacquemus are located in the luxury department stores Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Harvey Nichols and Selfridges in London. Despite their completely different appearances, all three shops are based on a common design principle.

For example, OMA did not start the design with the spatial configuration, but with the materiality. Each store is based on an element that defines the respective space from the floor to the walls to the ceiling and the furniture. The result is a homogeneous appearance that is either restrained or complements the colours of the garments on display.

Sculptural spaces

Nevertheless, the architects did not dispense with architectural expressiveness, which is particularly evident in the combination of space and furniture. The works of Valentine Schlegel served as a model here. The French sculptor and ceramist created plaster fireplaces as part of a sculptural interior concept. She added shelves, niches and benches to these, creating an abstract yet organic living landscape.

The display shelves in the Jacquemus store at Selfridges are moulded organically from the walls. © Benoit Florençon, courtesy of AMO

The OMA concept is based on the idea of a shop as a living landscape. The stores should not only offer a shopping experience, but also a quality of stay. In Paris, this is achieved using white cushions. They form the material for walls, doors, display shelves and changing rooms. There are also stacked cushions placed around the room as seating.

Provence as a reference

In London, the influence of Valentine Schlegel is even more prominent. The store at Harvey Nichols, for example, is clad in sand-lime brick. An elliptical geometry envelops the space and creates a cosy atmosphere. There are also elliptical openings and mirrors cut into the walls. The Selfridges store is similarly sculptural, with organically shaped, reddish-brown display shelves created using the Terracruda method. The name is Italian and literally means "raw earth". In this method, natural materials such as clay, straw or lime are mixed to create a loamy mass, which is then poured into moulds or shaped by hand. The design is not least a reminiscence of traditional Provençal architecture and thus also of Jacquemus' origins.