The new gallery for RH – the leading luxury home furnishings purveyor – is located on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the historic thoroughfare that stretches between Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. The retrofit project transforms the 1970s Parisian building into a hospitality-forward gallery space, with a winter garden restaurant, rooftop bar, and an adjacent design studio.
The gallery’s discreet entranceway is set back from the road and is accessible via a landscaped pathway that wraps around the building. A winter garden restaurant is located on the lower rooftop level and has a fully glazed canopy, which brings an abundance of natural light into the space. The champagne bar on the upper rooftop level offers panoramic views across the city to the Eiffel Tower. The interior design studio sits at the rear of the building, taking the form of a glass pavilion that integrates seamlessly with the landscaping.
The lift strategy ties together the different spaces and ensures efficient movement across the building’s five storeys. Owing to the prestigious location and strict zoning constraints, a conventional lift with a permanent rooftop level enclosure was not an option, as it would have been visible from the Champs-Élysées and blocked the sightline to the Eiffel Tower. Instead, a retractable lift rises only when needed and disappears seamlessly when not in use. When the cab ascends, the hatch opens, and a glass parapet automatically deploys around the opening to provide enclosure and ensure safety.
