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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. THE NEW FACADES OF THE GALERIES LAFAYETTE DEPARTMENT STORE IN METZ, FRANCE BY MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURESeptember 24th, 2014 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURE Located Place de la République, the Galeries Lafayette building has undergone a real transformation, symbol of the city center’s metamorphosis in Metz and realized by architect Manuelle Gautrand.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON
 Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON
 Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Reflecting the economic and social changes of the 19th century, the Department Stores, through their commercial and architectural boldness, are a part of the history of a city. In Metz, the Galeries Lafayette have then been a vector of the city’s image, contributing to its touristic and commercial dynamic and successively reflecting its different times.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Built in the 1980’s, the building – a true landmark in Metz – had to evolve in order to adapt to the new values of the Galeries Lafayette and to become a reference, both on the commercial and on the architectural level. Singular and remarkable element in the urban landscape of the city, the architect has focused on this urban scale of the building and referred to the symbolic aspect of Department Stores to give it a new image and identity.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Clothed in a stone facade, relatively cold and without any window or opening – except in its lower part – the existing building had entrances and vitrines that were not very generous. In order to transform the image of this building, visible from the other side of the square and to turn it into a signal or landmark for passersby, the architect decided to preserve the stone façade, with interesting classical ornamental features and to concentrate on its lower part, space where the public circulates.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON A canopy revisited like an origami  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON In a large ethereal movement of pleated glass, the canopy runs along the three facades of the building, on a total length of 120 meters. To echo the stone that it enhances and to refer to the Galeries Lafayette, the architect chose a red colored canopy which width varies from 2.30 meters to 5.30 meters, using a cantilever of 7.40 meters at the angle of the building; the height from the ground varies from 3.50 meters at its lowest point, to 11 meters at its highest.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Made of two tempered and laminated glass, in between which are enclosed four layers of red fi lm – necessary to obtain the intensity of red desired – the canopy, 22 millimeters thick overall, fi nds a rhythm through a series of folds that are assembled with one another in a large wave-like movement. This long fl ight of glass starts at one side of the store, on Winston Churchill Street, then rises gradually up to the angle and main entrances of the building, to lower down along Clercs Street, and rise up again when approaching the following entranceon Poncelet Street.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Technical achievement, the conception of the canopy was realized by TESS Ingénierie. The canopy is held by a metal structure made of triangular brackets that accompany each fold on its length and diagonal, in an almost chiseled manner. The large folding of this canopy, which gives more height and breathing to the lower facades, allows balancing the general proportions of the building. The stone is now displayed in more reasonable proportions. The more the glass folds approach the angle of the building, the  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON Larger and more generous vitrines The whole lower part of the building, situated under the canopy, is reconstructed in glass alternating between large vitrines and entrance gates. The vertical windows are screen printed with a white pointillism pattern that comes to highlight them a delicate frame. In this way, they are displayed next to each other along the facades, like frames or pictures that are exposed to the public on the square.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON The architect wanted the windows to refl ect and multiply the red color of the canopy, so as to give the impression that the canopy would extend endlessly into the lower façade of the building. These windows also refl ect the surroundings made of Jaumont stone. Whereas the upper facades of the Galeries Lafayette are made of a matt stone, the lower facades reflect the golden stones of the surrounding buildings.  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON A lighting enhancing the new canopy  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON The light continues the architectural gesture when the night falls. Completely intertwined with the structure, it offers new interpretations of it:
 Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON  Image Courtesy © VINCENT FILLON  Image Courtesy © MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURE  Image Courtesy © MANUELLE GAUTRAND ARCHITECTURE
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