For its first saddle workshop outside its historic Paris headquarters, Hermès chose the equestrian region of Normandy, in the commune of Louviers. As the company's artistic executive vice president, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, noted at the inauguration in April, "Thierry Hermès was a saddlemaker for 10 years in Normandy before starting the company in the mid-19th century."
Even with this respectful nod to the past, the Maroquinerie de Louviers, designed by French Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh, is 100 percent 21st century in concept, with eco-responsibility at the forefront. For the construction of the 66,700-square-foot building, which sits on some 10 acres, Ghotmeh commissioned local artisans to hand-make the half million red bricks that now enrobe the pinewood frame, minimizing carbon emissions with what she calls "materials from nature" while supporting traditional Norman craft.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Architectural Digest US.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Architectural Digest US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SEA CHANGE
Trading Manhattan for Brooklyn, designer Robert Stilin soaks up new scenery indoors and out
HELLA, YES
Thirty years into her career, Dutch design star Hella Jongerius proves the best ideas-and objects are those that grow and transform along with us
GREEN GODDESS
From her perch in Lloyd Wright's 1927 home and studio in West Hollywood, Vicki von Holzhausen is spreading the gospel-and refining the science—of eco-friendly, plant-based materials
BOTH SIDES NOW
Celebrated for his fantastical, genderfluid fashions, designer Harris Reed brings the same rule-flouting approach to a petite London apartment
shades of eden
In her magical LA garden, artist Mimi Lauter contemplates the cycle of life and the rapturous power of color
CHARM SCHOOL
In the hands of Ashe Leandro, a historic New York City house gets a delightful makeover
mother nature
Taking inspiration from her own childhood memories, Jennifer Garner crafts a cozy California home and garden where she and her family can put down roots
Finnish Lines
Resurfaced by Hem, a postmodern Nordic icon is back on the shelves
Changed for Good
Blending architectural styles, the new movie Wicked ventures off the beaten yellow-brick path
Earth Tone
In Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe, a new wellness resort looks to the land