The Pavilions Monaco Luxury Boutiques, Monte Carlo Retail Buildings, Architecture, Shops

The Pavilions in Monte Carlo

Contemporary Retail Buildings in Monaco: Boulingrins Gardens Luxury Stores design by Affine Design

31 Dec 2016

The Pavilions in Monte Carlo Stores

Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Design: architect Richard Martinet of Affine Design

Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Location: Boulingrins Gardens

Designed by architect Richard Martinet at the head of the agency affine design, the five Pavilions Monte-Carlo house twenty-one luxury boutiques in the centre of Monaco. This construction is consecutive to major work in two historic buildings bordering the place du Casino where these prestigious brands were previously established: the Hôtel de Paris (1864), now restored and embellished by Richard Martinet, and the Sporting d’Hiver (1931), an art deco building which will house a luxury ensemble signed by British architect Richard Rogers.

At the request of the Société des Bains de Mer, master developer and owner of the Jardins des Boulingrins, Richard Martinet has designed these demountable modules on the principle of ephemeral architecture, working with the Monacan architect Chérif Jahlan, associated with project management. Giant pebbles lain in leafy surrounds, the Pavillons Monte-Carlo host world-renowned labels and boutiques of fine jewellery. These shops will stay in place during the work carried out on the Hôtel de Paris, which will remain available to its privileged customers. The restoration of the famous palace will be conducted on an occupied site, a sensitive operation conducted by Richard Martinet, prime contractor for this project and interior designer.

Breaking with classical rationality and linear order, the curvaceous geometry of these pavilions is no stranger within the context of the site. At the heart of Monaco, the Jardins des Boulingrins lie alongside the gardens of Petite Afrique, where one can find rare species and high canopy trees that offer Monacans and the world verdant and sunny terraces.

This botanical universe is a contemporary art space in open air where, all year round, exhibits by various institutions, including the Guggenheim Foundation, may be found.

«This French garden instilled in me the desire to preserve the meandering trails, the paths and the two pools that underlie its harmony and spirit,” says Richard Martinet. “The idea of staying within the same vocabulary was indispensable for maintaining the paths, conserving the beautiful perspectives and making use of the location in order to respect this exceptional natural setting.»

The morphologies of the Pavillons Monte-Carlo, and consequently that of its spaces, respond to the intent of Richard Martinet to erase the architectural conflict that opposes the structure of a building to its interior and its standardized elements. The director of affine design took the opportunity of utilising an ephemeral architecture to provide a blank page for boutiques to renew their spatial distribution in one single place.

If the ephemeral architecture is an opportunity for the prime contractor to provide a dose of oxygen in a constrained environment, it remains a delicate exercise to harmonise this territory with a contemporary insertion. The project is in the spirit of the times, such that its innovative concept has seduced the Principality and the Société des Bains de Mer, inspired to make Monaco a city of urban experimentation.

The vision of Richard Rogers has also nourished the conception of Richard Martinet. Drawing an imaginary line on the place du Casino, the British architect, currently at work on the location of the Sporting d’Hiver, affirms the mutation engaged on this legendary location. On the one hand persists the flamboyance of the architectural heritage of the Principality and on the other falls the urban face of the Monaco of tomorrow. A future already underway with the construction of the new Yacht Club de Monaco, directed by Norman Foster.

With their futuristic shapes, the five Pavillons Monte-Carlo engage in this princely determination to see Monaco achieve an affirmed architectural modernity.

Photography: Remy Schejbal

The Pavilions in Monte Carlo images / information from Affine Design

Address: 68 Allées des Boulingrins, 98000 Principality of Monaco, Europe