Cartier’s six-story Paris flagship store at 13 Rue de la Paix is an institution. It’s been a fixture of the area for nearly 125 years, and it’s just received a major and stunning renovation.
Two years in the making, the reimagining of this 32,300-square-foot landmark showroom was no small feat. The Maison tapped three teams of architects to tackle the redesign of the historic building, which houses ten salons and a fully equipped workshop where artisans create, service and restore jewelry, watches and art.
Upon entering, you’ll be met at the concierge desk, and from there, you might stroll to the boutique located at the rear of the ground floor. Here, you have a full view of the balconies of the upper floors thanks to a newly designed atrium illuminated by a skylight. The retail lounges extend from the ground floor to the first and second, covering more than 15,000 square feet. Both watches and jewelry are on display, as well as leather goods and other accessories.
Dispersed among the modern wares are more intimate salons showcasing one-of-a-kind Cartier objects like Jean Cocteau’s sword set with emerald, ruby, diamond, ivory, onyx, enamel, gold and silver circa 1955. In addition, there’s an “Inspiration” salon dedicated to special orders executed by the in-store ateliers. For the remaining floors, Cartier has created a unique experience for enthusiasts with a warm yet contemporary residential aesthetic intermixed with archival materials and artisans working throughout the space. There’s even an area offering creative activities for children.
The revamped Paris flagship comes on the heels of Cartier’s work on several other brick-and-mortar retail spaces. In the past several years, the Maison has redesigned its New Bond Street store in London and its Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City. In addition, Cartier opened new retail outposts in Sydney and Milan earlier this year.
Click here to see all the photos of Cartier’s revamped Paris store.
