Now that half the planet owns a pair of Birkenstocks, the German footwear brand has shaken up things to head in the opposite direction and make itself relevant in somewhat more discerning circles. So, it has started to release high-profile collabs with luxury brands such as Rick Owens and Valentino, and Berlin-based cult lifestyle magazine 032c, all under the 1774 moniker, a special collection series named after the year the company was founded. And now it has upped the ante with a special showroom dedicated exclusively to the collab collections in the heart of Paris. The new Birkenstock outpost occupies a 170 sqm. (1,830 sq.ft.) apartment on the first floor of a late 19th century building, and features an interior design by London-based design and architecture practice Vinson & Co. Comprising of several rooms, much of the showroom’s original architectural elements have been retained, but at the same time it has seen a full revamp. Whitewashed walls, paneling and ceilings are paired with classic fishbone parquet flooring, and form the backdrop for a collection of carefully sourced European design pieces, including oak tables by Philipp Mainzer, Mario Bellini‘s cab chairs, 1950s-inspired Medea chairs by Vittorio Nobili, Tri Angle tools by Aldo Bakker, Cleft Oak benches by Simon Hasan, and Achille Castiglione‘s Lungangolo bookcase.
Birkenstock
390 rue St.-Honoré, Second Floor (St.-Honoré)
75001 Paris
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
