Iron Will

Uniqlo, the chain of fast fashion shops, has established itself as a global force far beyond its Japanese homeland, recognized for its eye-catching interiors and exteriors. Its work with Tokyo-based design agency Wonderwall has resulted in a series of stores from New York’s Fifth Avenue to Berlin’s Tauentzienstrasse, all of which have had store designers scrutinizing them and wondering how they could do something as good.

Recently the retailer opened its sixth French store (five out of the six stores, including this one, are in the capital) in the central Paris district of Le Marais. This is the oldest part of the city and the result is that much of the area’s architecture is historically designated and cannot be altered, externally at least.

The building that Uniqlo chose is no exception to this mandate and is, in fact, a former 19th Century iron foundry – a small piece of industrial archaeology that has been reimagined by Wonderwall and which has resulted in arguably the most compelling Uniqlo in France.

Stand outside this location and with the exception of the red and white Uniqlo logo, the rest of the frontage is almost entirely typical of mid-19th Century Parisian architecture, with decorated plasterwork and three gabled windows set into the roof.

Now head indoors and the initial reaction is that you’ve entered a courtyard situated under a glass roof. This is in fact the case and the high, whitewashed walls with casement-style windows that are used as Uniqlo lightboxes add to the daylight that illuminates the interior from the glass ceiling overhead.

Walk through the glazed double doors – above which the legend “atelier des cendres” (ashes workshop) is etched into the plaster – and the visitor is now in the main shop. The three-floor, 8826-square-foot space with a view on two of the three floors is dominated by an enormous chimney. This is the structure that originally formed the heart of the forge, which Wonderwall kept as the focal point of the interior and designed the rest of the store around it.

“Our newest store in Le Marais epitomizes effortless Parisian style,” says Berndt Hauptkorn, Fast Retailing Group officer and Uniqlo Europe ceo. “Combining a modern layout with historical features such as its 115-ft. tall red brick chimney, it is a perfect frame for creating a unique shopping experience.”

Modern features include LED tickers, lightboxes and digital displays that are all set within the context of a notable piece of architecture.  Worth noting too is the shirt personalization service at the store entrance. Here, shoppers can design their own T-shirt patterns and slogans using an iPad and these are then printed on-site. 

As an example of how an old building can be repurposed while keeping the look and feel of the original, Uniqlo’s adaptation is hard to beat. It’s also a good example of how a historic structure can outperform many of its modern equivalents.