Antonio Virga Architect

Dior Men Paris

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

DIOR MEN PARIS

Antonio Virga Architecte + Dior Men Architecture Department No Publicar

ARCHITECTS
Antonio virga architecte, dior men architecture department

PLUMBING
Secath Cap Ingelec

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Somete

HVAC ENGINEERING
Secath Cap Ingelec

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
B-Telec Consulting

CLIENT
Christian Dior Couture

PHOTOGRAPHS
Oolivier Helbert

AREA
16145 ft²

YEAR
2014

LOCATION
Paris, France

CATEGORY
Workshop, Office Buildings, Showroom

Text description provided by architect.

CONTEXT

Former commercial premises are transformed into style offices and haute couture workshops to gather the Dior Men department on one site.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

The block develops on six levels (basement to R + 4), with a main building on the rue de Marignan and wings back on the impasse Bourdin.

On pre- existing first floor terrace overlooking the impasse, a wood-frame house adjoining the gable wall is demolished and an extension replaces it.

The existing house had been deprived of its ground floor when the existing terrace was constructed.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

The extension, in particular thanks to the passageway and canopy, creates a meaningful dialogue with the existing site by giving back good proportions to the terrace.

An extension including new shared areas and a covered outdoor walkway is grafted to the building.

To revitalize the existing architectural style, without distorting or faking the preserved facades, this extension features a deliberately contemporary style and is widely opened to the terrace.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

To emphasize the intervention, the extension is slightly elevated and detached from the wall. LED lights reinforce the impression of an object placed at the heart of Paris heritage.

The choice of materials confirms this game of contrasts: wood, glass and metal meet to offer a timeless architectural vocabulary.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

Framed in black, the extension is highlighted : the vertical lines try to repeat the sequence of existing windows, while the diagonal on the canopy are to be imagined as a reinterpretation of the old Parisian glass roofs

On the dead end, two new windows shed light on the ground floor. A glass roof that enlivens the terrace is created to bring more natural light.

The main entrance door to the Marignan street is amended to create both a visible call during the day and a protected site at night.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

Here again, the materials , metal and glass, enhance the historic character of the place in a both radically modern and sober manner.

The reception is totally refined in order to let the brand be fully activated: only the ceiling, the logo and a digital display showing the latest fashion shows enliven the room.

The furniture includes concealed storage for more clarity, in line with the very refined treatment of these new premises.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert
Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert

The elevators shafts are stripped and now display their original grid as a tribute to the history of the place. 

The curve of the stairs is highlighted by a wide black ribbon which runs on each floor, as a reminder of the architectural signature of the extension.

Dior Men Paris
© Olivier Helbert


Dior Men Paris
Floor Plan
Dior Men Paris
Floor Plan
Dior Men Paris
Site Plan


Dior Men Paris
Detail
Dior Men Paris
Section

Antonio Virga Architect
T +33 1 48000125
Antonio Virga Architect
1b Cité Paradis, 75010 Paris, France