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Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati

Valerio Olgiati uses sky blue marble for interiors of Céline store in Miami

Blue-tinged marble and pyramidal forms appear throughout luxury fashion label Céline's flagship store in Miami, which has been designed by Swiss practice Valerio Olgiati.

Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati

The two-storey shop is located in the city's design district, joining a roster of high-end fashion brands including Gucci, Tom Ford, and Louis Vuitton.

Céline already has branches in New York and Beverly Hills. For the design of its third bricks-and-mortar store in the US the fashion label tasked Valerio Olgiati with designing a space that could house its ready-to-wear and accessories collections in full.

Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati

Left with a largely open brief, the studio decided to deck out the store's facade, walls and floors in Brazilian Pinta Verde marble.

Inspired by the material's unique blue-green patina, they wanted to create a "place where an internal universe can be imagined."

The architects cut away parts of the basement's ceiling to insert two pyramid-shaped volumes, which burst through into the shop's ground floor – one forms a pitched stairway, while the other accommodates the peaked top of a chunky concrete column that sits directly underneath.

Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati

Thick slabs of marble have been used as display stands for shoes and handbags, while clothing items are hung on simple brushed-brass railings. Further textural detail is added by grey, suede-like rugs and cushion seats.

Back in 2012, Valerio Olgiati used solely concrete to form the monotonous facade of an agricultural school in eastern Switzerland.

Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati

Much like the practice, London-based architects Rundell Associates employed marble to create a sweeping staircase for Harrods' Fine Watches department, which is intended to resemble a timepiece.

Spanish studio Cizak Dulmus also used marble powder to form a series of display blocks for fashion brand Malababa's pink-hued Madrid store.

Photography is by Mikael Olsson.


Project credits:

Architect: Valerio Olgiati
Collaborators: Anthony Bonnici (project manager office Olgiati), Sofia Albrigo
Marble contractors: Essequattro S.p.A.
General contractor: Michilli Construction & Consulting
Plans: Archive Olgiati

More images and plans

Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Ground floor plan
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Basement plan
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Long section
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati
Céline flagship Miami store by Valerio Olgiati