Since 2022, the Manufacture de la Mode de Chanel 19M building at Porte d'Aubervilliers in Paris has housed the workshops of the 600 craftsmen who contribute to the reputation of the famous brand. Architect Rudy Ricciotti is no novice when it comes to designing this open triangle wrapped in a chrysalis of fibre-reinforced concrete filaments. With numerous Parisian projects to his credit, including the Louvre's Department of Islamic Art, Ricciotti believes that Parisian architecture is both conservative and innovative. We met him during the construction of the 19M to discuss architecture, of course, but also fashion and craftsmanship. Here's a look back at an interview that speaks volumes about his view of the architectural profession.
Chanel's Manufacture de la Mode is currently under construction. When will we be able to admire the buildings you have designed?
In 2020. At the moment, we're still in the foundation phase. Soon you'll be able to admire the whole complex, with its white fibre-reinforced concrete exoskeleton. The 26,000-square-metre site will be home to some 600 historic artisans who create Chanel's fashion accessories. Some specialise in silk, others in pearls or gilding, and all will be housed free of charge at the Porte d'Aubervilliers site. These are very fragile old trades, which will be better protected in this way.
What a change with this showcase rising from the ground on a site undergoing transformation...
First and foremost, I designed this ultra-innovative building for the people who will work in it. The aim is to provide them with the best possible living conditions, with high levels of light, thermal and acoustic comfort. At the heart of the building, on five levels, the craftsmen will also benefit from an open-air garden accessible from the corridors. The facades will be wrapped in a chrysalis of stretched concrete threads, evoking the textile metaphor of the site. Finally, the extreme technological nature of this project will reflect the technical and learned complexity of the fashion trades.
In Clichy-la-Garenne, north of Paris, we now know the project chosen to design a real estate and cultural complex combining futuristic architecture and heritage rehabilitation. On the agenda: a 4-star hotel, rooftop gardens and contemporary art exhibition spaces...
In Paris, you've also designed the Jean-Bouin rugby stadium, a block of flats near the François-Mitterrand library, the Islamic art section of the Louvre... Is there a guiding principle, a Rudy Ricciotti signature?
Absolutely not. Each project has its own sensibility. The only thing that unites all my creations is the attention I pay to craftsmanship. There is an enormous amount of work behind each one. I attach the utmost importance to defending the skills of boilermakers, bricklayers, formworkers, crane operators, roofers and ironworkers. Skilled labour is a source of memory and social cohesion. Before the Second World War, it took 100 words to describe a façade. But with the rise of neo-modern, consumerist architecture, you only need two or three. Bar-coded, off-the-shelf buildings have cost us 90% of our knowledge and trade names. Tragic.
From an architectural point of view, is Paris a conservative or an innovative city?
It's both! First and foremost, the capital is conservative because it has an extraordinary 19th century heritage. This is clearly what makes it so incredibly beautiful. But it's also contemporary in its ability to bring new projects to life. Recent examples include Renzo Piano's new Palais de Justice at the Porte de Clichy and Jean Nouvel's Philharmonie in the heart of the Parc de la Villette. But there are also some highly innovative projects outside the ring road. For example, the EDF research and development building near Saclay, designed by Francis Soler. I could also mention a sports complex in Rueil-Malmaison with colonnades that give it the appearance of a giant temple, a secondary school in Vitry-sur-Seine with a gym made of hemp concrete, or a woven concrete tower in Clichy-la-Garenne.
The Pinault Collection has found a home in Paris, in the Bourse de Commerce building, which has been entirely rehabilitated under the leadership of the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The future museum lifts the veil on this major project through photos, sketches and computer generated images of the site. The Collection combines architecture, contemporary art and the second life of historic monument.
Recommendations and advice
Curious about the 19M? Good news: this Chanel showcase is open to all. Here you can discover the excellence of the Métiers d'art de la Mode et de la Décoration thanks to a multidisciplinary artistic programme of exhibitions, workshops, conferences... This ultra-modern building has also been designed with the quality of life of the craftsmen who work there every day and their environment in mind. Would you like to come and discover the values that drive this place? You too can play your part in this project by contributing to the quality of the capital's air and environment by using public transport or soft mobility solutions to discover the site. Metro, RER, bus, tramway... the choice is yours. What a great way to immerse yourself in this fashion mecca, where people are at the heart of everything!
Find out more - Rudy Ricciotti Architecte - Le 19M - 2 Place Skanderbeg, 75019 Paris - Prepare your stay in Paris
By Stéphane Béchaux
Pioneer Journalist. I like to explore backstage, aisles, backyards. And make others talk about their jobs, their passions.
