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      Ciguë imagines car-free city inside Cowboy's electric bike shop in Paris

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      Limestone blocks and crushed earth feature in this electric bike shop in Paris, designed by local studio Ciguë to visualise how a car-free city of the future might look.

      The store belongs to Cowboy, an e-bike brand aimed at urban cyclists, and is located in the department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche.
      Ciguë has designed an e-bike store for Cowboy in ParisFor its interior, Ciguë designed a minimalist landscape that is “organic and fluid, free from the angst-inducing presence of cars”.
      Walls and ceilings throughout the space are covered in raw earth while on the floor, a winding concrete walkway reminiscent of a cycle path is surrounded by crushed earth. Roughly hewn blocks of limestone serve as seating.
      Tooled waxed concrete forms a winding pathway through the interiorOne of Cowboy’s bikes is suspended above a circular pit of crushed earth in the centre of the store, so it is visible from the street through one of the store’s three street-facing windows.

      Overhead, a screen shows footage of clouds streaking across the horizon to create the impression that the bike is “suspended between earth and sky”.
      An e-bike hangs over a pit of crushed earth in the centre of the storeAs the outpost in Le Bon Marché is Cowboy’s first shop without direct access from the street, Ciguë wanted to create an immersive interior that makes customers feel as if they are outdoors.
      “We had to reconnect the shop with the exterior,” said Ciguë founder Alphonse Sarthout.
      “Videos of the sky conjure up the idea of movement and the passage of time. Similarly, suspending the bike in mid-air contributes to the idea of speed and effortlessness associated with electric bikes.”

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      The bike is suspended using subtle wires while other models are displayed throughout the space using narrow aluminium stands, which create the impression that the bikes are standing upright of their own accord.
      These pared-back displays were intended to reflect the seamless design of Cowboy bikes.
      “The absence of visible welds and the materials used for the bike are embodied in Ciguë’s display,” said Cowboy founder Tanguy Goretti. “The interplay of textures on the walls, the benches and the aluminium rack reflects this tactile technology.”
      Blocks of limestone serve as seatingThe warm-toned earth used throughout the interior was sourced from the Oise region of northern France.
      This could become a consistent feature across other Cowboy stores in the future, according to Ciguë, with different earth tones being used for different locations.
      Other retail environments designed by the Parisian studio include a bamboo-covered boutique for Isabel Marant in Bangkok and five different Aesop shops, among them an outpost above a record store in Nottingham.
      The photography is by Maris Mezulis.

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      OMA designs Tiffany & Co pop-up in Paris to take visitors on a “journey across time”

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      Architecture studio OMA has created a pop-up shop for Tiffany & Co in Paris that showcases an assortment of pieces from the jeweller’s 185-year history.

      The pop-up is located in the eighth arrondissement and functions as a cross between a boutique and an exhibition, spotlighting Tiffany pieces from both past and present.
      Visitors enter the Tiffany & Co pop-up in Paris through a blue rotunda”Tiffany & Co has a rich history both in making jewellery and in product design,” said OMA partner Ellen van Loon. “For us, it was important to showcase that history.”
      “More than an occasion to discover Tiffany’s latest collection, a visit to the store also becomes a journey across time.”
      The room displays archival jewellery piecesUpon entering the store, visitors walk into a deep-blue rotunda where Tiffany & Co is showcasing some of its archival jewellery designs.

      The pieces are presented within wall niches or inside pyramidal glass cases that sit on chunky plinths. Tall screens display blown-up imagery of the designs so visitors can take a look at their finer details.
      A gold-toned room showcases Tiffany’s current jewellery collectionA short corridor takes visitors through to a gold-toned room, where Tiffany & Co’s current collection is put on show. At the periphery of the space, a small seating nook provides a place to rest alongside a couple of pale-pink armchairs and poufs.
      The room is anchored by an antique stained-glass pendant light that echoes the lamps designed by Tiffany & Co’s first design director Louis Comfort Tiffany in the early 1900s.
      In keeping with this theme, faux stained-glass panelling was also added to the pop-up’s facade.
      Stained-glass lamps and pink soft furnishings decorate the spaceA velvet-lined archway looks through to the shop’s final room, where high-jewellery appointments are held.
      This smaller, more intimate space features faceted metallic walls and powder-blue carpet that, in an ombre effect, gradually deepens to a darker blue as visitors make their way back to the front of the store.
      A consultation room lies at the rear of the pop-up shopTiffany & Co’s Paris pop-up will be open until May 2023 and will be subtly updated throughout the year to reflect the brand’s new collections as they are put on display.
      OMA is also currently working on a major renovation of the jewellery brand’s flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue. The project will see a three-storey glass volume added to the building’s roof, providing space for exhibitions and events.
      The photography is by Benoit Florençon, courtesy of OMA.
      Project credits:
      Design: OMAPartner: Ellen van LoonProject architect: Giulio MargheriTeam: Jacopo Bellina, Sebastian Bernardy, Miguel Herreras San José, Mateusz Kiercz, Philippe Le Quellec, Mingda Zhang

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      NOA creates tailor-made interior for pied-à-terre in Le Marais

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      Network of Architecture has used curved lines, custom oak furniture and marble details to heighten the character of an apartment in a converted hotel in Le Marais, Paris.

      NOA has created a completely custom interior for Nicolai Paris, located in the former Hotel Nicolai, which serves as a pied-à-terre for an Italian family.
      Nicolai Paris is located in a converted hotelThe renovation involved designing the layout of the two-level home, then adding playful furniture elements that help to optimise the functionality of each space.
      “We started by defining the final atmosphere of the future apartment,” explained architect and NOA co-founder Lukas Rungger.
      The Le Marais apartment has a completely custom interior”It was essential that the space would feel cosy, ‘hyggelig’, and convey a feeling of wellbeing,” he told Dezeen.

      “The choice of interior layout, materials and geometry all serve this purpose.”
      A mix of terrazzo and parquet flooring helps to define different zonesBuilt in the 17th century, the property has plenty of quirks. What’s particularly unusual about this apartment is that it has an L-shaped layout, with most of its windows located at one end.
      As a result, it made sense to locate the family living spaces here, nearest the entrance, and two large bedrooms in the back.
      A curved line is defined by flooring, walls, lighting and furnitureA staircase in the centre of the floor plan leads up to a snug and a third bedroom on the smaller attic floor, which are both lit by skylights rather than windows.
      To avoid creating wasteful corridors, NOA used two different floor surfaces to subtly mark the distinction between rooms and the connecting spaces in between.
      Custom oak furniture pieces include an in-built window seatA strong curve of terrazzo cuts through the living space, which is defined by bleached oak parquet in a chevron pattern, known as French herringbone. This divides the room into two “islands”.
      The larger island contains a lounge, dining area and kitchen, while the smaller one is occupied by a single piece of in-built furniture, providing a window seat and shelving nooks.

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      The terrazzo curve is emphasised by other elements, including a screen wall beside the entrance and a partition wall that encloses a cloakroom, laundry room and toilet.
      It is also matched by lighting fixtures overhead and the organically-shaped staircase.
      A double-curved staircase leads up to the attic”The layout of the interior spaces was definitely the biggest challenge,” said Rungger.
      “We wanted to create a space of comfort within a bigger space,” he explained. “Each island is a space within a space, intimate in itself but in dialogue with the rest.”
      Beds are set on oak platforms and defined by oak wall panellingCustom oak furniture features in every room. The beds are set on tiered platforms, continuing the islands concept, while the dining table is framed by an upholstered L-shaped bench.
      Marble is also dotted throughout. A grey-blue Bardiglio Imperiale features in the kitchen and around the fireplace, and the main bedroom boasts a bathtub carved from a single block of Botticino Fiorito.
      An attic room can be used as a snug, study or home cinema”We wanted to reflect the elegance of the Parisian ambience in the flat,” said Rungger.
      “The colours of the Parisian rooftops influenced the choice of fabrics and marble colours, especially in the living area.”
      Bathrooms and washroom feature mosaic tiles in varying shades of grayNOA has offices in Berlin and Turin, so typically works on projects in other parts of Europe. The studio recently completed a hotel and wellness centre and a glacier-top viewing platform, both in South Tyrol.
      With this project, they hope to show a more craft-focused side to their practice.
      “From the furniture’s roundness to the staircase’s double curvature, we have consistently drawn a line that fluidly touches the whole flat,” added Rungger.
      The photography is by Antoine Huot.

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      h2o Architectes converts storage space into colourful studio for Louvre museum

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      French firm h2o Architectes has designed a brightly-hued educational facility, hosting art classes for young and old inside Paris’s Musée du Louvre.

      Over 1,200-square-metres, The Studio encompasses a common area and nine studio spaces on the lower ground floor of the Louvre’s Richelieu wing.
      The Studio (top image) has nine workshop rooms (above)What was once a storage depot for the Islamic art department is now a space for learning, where anyone from school children to professionals can expand on their own artistic skills and find out more about the artworks displayed in the museum.
      The Studio’s grand arched entrance leads visitors into The Forum, which functions as a reception and plays host to a changing roster of free 20-minute workshops.
      Workshop rooms towards the rear of The Studio are painted in bright huesh2o Architectes designed the interior as “a place for conviviality and exchange”, with a broad bank of tiered wooden seating allowing visitors to perch and chat.

      The cushioned seats can be lifted up to reveal storage boxes for workshop participants to stow away their jackets and other personal items.
      One of the rooms is vermillion teal blueBuilt into the surrounding walls is a series of backlit niches.
      These showcase work by members of the public, as well as small-scale pieces made by the Louvre’s in-house roster of expert guilders, painters, framers, metalworkers and other craftsmen.

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      Towards the back of The Studio are nine rooms for hosting lengthier workshops and training courses in everything from art history to project management.
      These rooms have been painted in bright, punchy colours like lemon yellow, teal blue and vermillion red.
      Another of the rooms is lemon yellowIn contrast, the corridors connecting the rooms are much more neutral-toned and entirely lined in wood.
      Their curved walls meet to form snug corners where visitors can stop and socialise while simple spherical pendant lights cast a warm glow throughout the interior.
      The Forum doubles as a reception area with tiered seatingh2o Architectes was established by Jean Jacques Hubert and Charlotte Hubert in 2005.
      Since then, the studio has completed a diverse array of projects in France including an angular timber wine-tasting pavilion, a nursery extension topped with a fabric canopy and an apartment with hidden space-saving storage.
      The photography is by Maxime Verret.
      Project credits:
      Architect: h2o ArchitectesStructural consultant: Équilibre StructuresConstruction economist: Cabinet PiltéFluid engineering office: INEXLighting designer: Agence OnMultimedia: Labeyrie & AssociésSignage: Wanja Ledowski StudioAcoustics: ABC DecibelFire prevention and safety: CASSO & AssociésSupervision unit: Alpha ContrôleHealth and saftey coordination: Qualiconsult

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