Piaget’s boutique at 16 Place Vendôme in Paris has taken on a new look, doubling its original footprint with a design by New York–based architect Rafael de Cárdenas that emphasizes the luxury brand’s heritage through a rich interplay of colors and shapes.
While the color palette varies throughout the newly renovated boutique, Benjamin Comar, CEO of Piaget, notes that gold—appearing in several shades—serves as the signature color throughout the space.
“The concept used for our flagship store marks a new chapter in the Maison’s creative expression,” Comar said. “The boutique is a celebration of life, an explosion of light that subtly bears witness to the mastery of gold that has defined Piaget for all these years.”
The redesign of the two-story space begins with the exterior, where circular windows are enhanced with blue sodalite stone panels. The aesthetic pays homage to Piaget’s historic watch dials as well as 20th-century French decorative arts. In particular, it reflects the work of French masters such as Jean Royère and Jacques Ruhlmann, who elevated the use of marble and other fine blue stones to the status of artwork.
Inside the boutique, shades of blue, coral and gold blend together in a palette that echoes Piaget’s watch and jewelry creations.
“Piaget has a strong identity, both sophisticated and creative,” said de Cárdenas, whose studio works across residential and commercial interiors, architecture, furniture design, art advisory and brand development. “The Maison’s playful side, conveyed through different materials, colors and interplays of shapes, allowed me to create a concept worthy of a cabinet of curiosities. I used refined materials and collaborated with artists to echo both the exquisitely precise movement and the visionary rebelliousness of a Piaget watch.”
Piaget says the boutique’s multiple gathering areas are designed to stimulate conversation while highlighting the craftsmanship central to the brand’s creations. The overall design draws inspiration from Parisian Haussmann-style apartments—19th-century residences known for their limestone facades, high ceilings, intricate moldings, herringbone parquet floors and marble fireplaces.
A series of adjoining spaces reveal intimate rooms where clients can discover Piaget’s watches and jewelry while admiring design pieces such as the iconic Mushroom armchair by 20th-century French designer Pierre Paulin. The boutique also features bespoke furnishings, including a lacquer console inspired by the fusion of blue stone and liquid gold, and a gold-colored “cabinet of virtuosity” on the ground floor that traces Piaget’s legacy through heritage pieces displayed in glass vitrines.
A plaster Savoir-Faire wall created by artist Caroline Perrin—known for her mastery of the material—offers another nod to the Piaget’s craftsmanship. An asymmetrical staircase leads to the mezzanine level, glowing with the honeyed brightness of molten gold. Its ascent is marked by an undulating golden mural, while a domed display cabinet built into the banister allows for a close encounter with Piaget creations.
The second floor, overlooking Place Vendôme, features a ceiling fresco inspired by malachite created by Julien Gautier, a French decorative painter known for his bespoke walls and ceilings. This level houses Piaget’s contemporary pieces from its watch, high jewelry and jewelry collections.
De Cárdenas’s overall store design is complemented by curated artworks selected by Alexandra Fain, founder of Asia NOW, the socially engaged contemporary art fair. Piaget says the collaboration reflects the brand’s tradition of honoring era-defining artists and drawing inspiration from their creativity for its own watch and jewelry designs. The art selection will rotate every six months.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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