Printemps Paris
One of the world’s most famous department stores, Printemps Haussmann, is a landmark building in Paris. As part of a radical renovation project, SCHOTT were tasked with creating a stunning glass façade for the men’s department, which we achieved using SCHOTT NARIMA® glass to form a fascinating and memorable mosaic.
Key figures
Background
Located on Boulevard Haussmann near the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris, the luxury department store Printemps Haussmann is one of the city’s main tourist hotspots. Originally opened in 1865, the store offers fashion and beauty products across three buildings that cover a massive 43,500 m2. In 2008, the store began a series of renovations designed to make Le Printemps one of the most iconic department stores in the world.
Task
As the flagship store in the Printemps chain, Printemps Haussmann needed a stunning façade for its seven-floor men’s department, creating a building that would continue the store’s legacy of being a tourist attraction, as well as a successful retail outlet. The building also needed to retain its art deco heritage characterized by lavish ornamentation and opulent materials such as bronze and glass.Solution
The eye-catching building façade was assembled using over 12,000 pieces of SCHOTT NARIMA® Blue-Gold laminated glass. This created a luxurious mosaic that changes color according to different light conditions and viewer position. The effect really comes alive in the festive season when the windows of the department store are illuminated – an effect that stays long in the memory of the 10 million people that visit the store every Christmas.
1/3
2/3
3/3
A visual treat for Parisian sightseers
As a dichroic glass, SCHOTT NARIMA® provides architects and designers with a unique visual effect that reflects some colors while allowing others through. Colors change depending on the viewer’s position and the intensity and position of the sunlight to create buildings that continually fascinate and delight.
The department store Printemps is a real eye-catcher – perfect harmony between history and the modern age. From the outside, people enjoy the golden reflections. Inside the store, they appreciate the soothing blue.
Inspirational inside and out
Department stores such as Printemps Haussmann not only need to attract the attention of customers outside the building, but inspire them inside with clever use of lighting to present the products in the best possible way. The use of SCHOTT NARIMA® Blue-Gold offers two effects: an inviting yellow light for those outside and a calming blue for those inside.
We really started brainstorming on how we could make Printemps one of the most iconic department stores in the world. We said we needed to bring a level of innovation that has never been done before.
Used materials & similar products
The dichroic glass SCHOTT NARIMA® offers a choice of six different colors that each make a memorable visual statement. Dip-coated rather than foil-based, it’s harder, more stable in UV light, scratch resistant, and less vulnerable to humidity, as well as being thermally and chemically resistant.
Efficient teamwork for an iconic result
Renovating the exterior of such an architecturally important building required working closely with a number of technical experts to ensure this contemporary upgrade respected its historical features. The result is an fantastic example of how art, design and science can combine to achieve an iconic look.Glass made by
SCHOTT France
Architects
Gabor Mester de Parajd
Design agency
ACPV
Technical
SLH Ingénierie
Structure
Af2m
