On September 25th, Bottega Veneta unveiled its new Paris flagship store on the iconic Avenue Montaigne. It is the first store designed by and under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy.

Combining Italian craftsmanship with a modernist sensibility, the near 800-square-meter space is defined by two essential materials: glass, native to Venice, and Italian walnut wood. Industrial square glass blocks are integrated into floor, ceiling, and walls, creating a grid geometry and diffuse, homogenous light throughout the store. Walnut wood panels frame the blocks, and also distinguish the transitional spaces of stairway and jewelry gallery corridor.

Interaction with original design and the handmade begins upon entry, where the front door features a one-of-a-kind glass handle by the Venice-based Japanese glass artist, Ritsue Mishima. Further brass hooks and handles throughout the store pick up on Blazy’s Drop motif, while single Drop elements on store mirrors create rippling reflections suggestive of Venice’s aquatic cityscape.

Photographs by Francois Halard