DESIGN

DESIGN Architecture & Aesthetics

Peter Marino previews the new flagship Chanel boutique in the Miami Design District

the Chanel building stand out with an old simplicity that will offer quite a relief. It’s a beautiful white cube—very, very elegant with very simple windows.

Describe the dialogue between architecture and art in this space. Why is it important to you to fuse architecture and visual art in your work?

We have a commission from artist Chris Succo for the elevator, a linear painting [that is] 8 feet long by Peter Dayton over jewelry, drawings by Jan-Ole Schiemann in the try-on rooms. Hanging in the atrium are three works by Gregor Hildebrandt—inkjet prints and plastic cassette tape boxes in wooden cases—and a photograph by Vera Lutter of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a nod to what’s coming next. [A new Chanel on Rodeo Drive is slated for completion in 2022.] It is important to give clients an elevated shopping experience whether they purchase or not. Display is crucial. [It is the] same philosophy as to why art must be the highest quality—visual stimulation and enjoyment count a lot.

Why do in-store experiences still matter?

You cannot feel a chenille sofa on the internet, and the brick-and-mortar structures that I do are experiences that people really can’t get anywhere else. I try constantly to innovate, and we keep inventing new forms and shapes with whatever innovative new materials we can come up with. With Chanel, the owners are always very open to new ideas. I think that’s why the partnership works so well.

By Melissa Puppo

When Chanel decided to open a new outpost of its fashion house in the Miami Design District, its team knew exactly who to call: Peter Marino. The architect has been a longstanding collaborator with the brand, designing upward of 200 Chanel projects over more than 20 years. This latest concept marks his largest Chanel boutique to date. The two-story, all-white, stucco building resembles a cube, with an interior flooded with light that pours in through abstract windows. Inside, the brand’s ready-to-wear clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and more are on display, carefully placed within the boutique to give every shopper an immersive experience. Marino added artworks throughout the space as an homage to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s legacy as a patron of the arts. Here, the illustrious designer details his inspiration for the Miami flagship.

AVM: How does the new Miami Design District boutique capture the spirit of Chanel?

Marino: The store is black and white—instantly recognizable as Chanel. The rich heritage of the brand is present within the clean lines, considerations of proportion. Chanel is a unique combination of French tradition and modernity.

Miami has become known as a hub of art and architecture. How does your new boutique complement or redefine the Miami aesthetic?

Every single store [in the Miami Design District] is trying to outdo the other with more and more playful and elaborate forms of expression. I find them all over-the-top. In this context, I’m trying to make

Y.Z. KAMI