Building on the architecture he created in 2015 for the Dior flagship store in Seoul, Christian de Portzamparc has designed a sculptural building in Geneva that pays homage to the fabrics that Christian Dior used to cut and shape.
Located at the corner of Rue du Rhône, one of the city’s main historic shopping streets, and Rue Robert-Céard, the building houses six floors of boutiques and offices. Six petal-shaped shells clad the façade and support the roof. These shells intersect at the street corner, marking the entrance to the boutique, and create an orchestrated choreography that evokes the movement of the fabrics the couturier shaped to create his haute couture dresses.
The connection between the vertical facade and the petals—which are over 22 meters high and 6 meters wide at their widest point—is achieved through curved glass panels that follow the building’s contours, thereby creating alcoves within the boutique. The square-shaped roof integrates with the street’s geometry and echoes the rectangular layout of the city of Geneva. Between these resin shells, the glass walls let in natural light, which plays an essential role. Christian de Portzamparc thus creates a dialogue between the outside and the inside, where the interplay of light and shadow sculpts the interior space. At night, the flagship store comes to life thanks to the interior lighting filtered through the petals, transforming the building into a large urban lantern.
ARCHITECT: Christian de Portzamparc
CLIENT: Christian Dior Couture
PROGRAM : design of a six-story flagship store featuring retail spaces, private lounges, and a terrace
SCOPE: design, planning, architectural supervision
AREA: 766 m2
LEAD COMPANY: Sogeco, Simeon (façades), BFG (pétales en FRP)
PARTERS: Patrice Reynaud Architectes & Associés (architecte local), ESA Engineering (BET)
TEAM: Sébastien Menu, Margherita Frezza, Raphaël Vandon
