Escada headquarters by Carbondale
All that glitters is not kitsch. Escada’s new HQ building in Munich, designed by Eric Carlson of the Paris based architecture and design studio, Carbondale, will receive each season hundreds of visitors from all over the world to unveil the fashion brand’s latest collection.
The French studio’s job was to design the complete architectural “public face” including the entry fa√ßade, entry court, interior courtyard, lobby and furniture totaling 2,000 m2.
“The 3 main spaces, the entry court, lobby and interior courtyard spaces are visually aligned with transparent facades to form an immense 75meter long runway that flows through the center of the building. The ground plane of each of the 3 areas is uniquely inscribed with succession of linear bands serving to unify and give rhythm to the formal entry procession. At the interior courtyard the stripe composition alternates between bands of grass and concrete paving. The combination of mineral and vegetal materials practically allows for punctual usage without damage, yet visually when perceived perpendicularly from the lobby the courtyard appears completely green.”
“Inside the lobby the stripes are manifested in the flooring through varying sized bands of polished concrete and polished aluminum and in the ceiling with irregularly positioned full-length lighting gorges.”
“The open 600 m2 lobby interior is interspersed with 5 box like objects extending from floor-to-ceiling varying in size, tone and function. The first ‚Äúbox‚Äù is the entry vestibule, lined with a white lacquer paravent, suggestive of folding screens used for changing clothes. The large central ‚Äúbox‚Äù contains the reception and the small 2-level box contains the public elevator. Two additional ‚Äúinverted boxes‚Äù are recessed wall alcoves which signal the entries into the showroom and restaurant spaces.”
“Each of these 5 box elements along with 2 central columns are wrapped in an extraordinary and inventive surface composed of vertical blades of polished, linished and brushed stainless steel mounted in an irregular zig-zag pattern. Inspired by the pattern made by dressmaking scissors, this unique triangular facetted profile is also sculpted into the custom wool carpet and leather furniture. Rather than simply applying color to distinguish the different “boxes” Carbondale expresses the material by tinted the stainless steel in silver, light-gold, gun metal blue, and bronze.”
“…Carbondale created the seating area in the proportions of a super-stretch limousine wrapped in matt black leather. The 12meter long seating-table element is composed of an enormous floating slab enveloped in angular undulating leather from which three seating areas are carved out and capped in a continuous serpentine backrest.”
“The robust linear of architectural surfaces create an ephemeral composition of textures and reflections that render the Escada headquarters both modern and luxurious conveying the essence of the brand.”
Architects: Carbondale, Eric Carlson / Director, Pierre Tortrat / Associate, Valérie Vaudoyer / Project Architect
Local Architect: Jan Hehenberger, Munich, Germany
Building contractor: Gerhard P. Wirth, Nürnberg, Germany
Contractors: Franck Franjou, Paris / Lighting consultant – Abisz, Velen Germany / Furniture Contractor – Films Hors Ecran, Paris / Audio Video Consultant – Thalweg, Montreuil / Landscape Consultant, Pur-Metall, Hohenbrunn Germany / Metal
Photo Credits: Jimmy Cohrssen for Carbondale, Paris / Los Angeles
Very nice and clean landscape design.
Left me speechless too. I love the silver boxes.
“All that glitters is not kitsch.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. :)
LOL. Exactly my “words”.
Wow.