Architecture studio Foster + Partners has created a department store in Luxembourg with a faceted glass facade.
The Galeries Lafayette store stands at the corner of Grand Rue and Boulevard Royal in central Luxembourg. It was designed by Foster + Partners to be "a distinctive presence for one of Europe's leading department stores".
The seven-storey building has a faceted glass and steel facade, made up of a combination of transparent and bronze-coloured panels.
"As the sun tracks around the building, the colour, reflection and shadows on the glass animate the innovative façade like a jewel," explained the studio.
The buildings contains 6,500 square-metres of retail space, with a single department placed on each of the first six floors, connected by escalators that rise through the building.
A roof light at the top of this central atrium brings light into the centre of the building. Throughout the store, interiors are stripped back with ceilings, lighting and ventilation systems visible throughout.
The store is topped with a rooftop garden and restaurant, which will be run by chef Gaston Acurio, in a faceted steel structure.
The department store has been built as part of the Royal Hamilius mixed-use development designed by Foster + Partners, in collaboration with Luxembourg studio Tetra Kayser Associés.
"We are incredibly excited about the opening of the new Galeries Lafayette, which will be the first in a sequence of buildings at Royal Hamilius – a vibrant mixed-use project which will bring huge benefits to the city," said Darron Haylock, partner at Foster + Partners.
"It offers an exciting opportunity to create a new destination for visitors and residents, establishing a contemporary, sustainable addition to the rich urban fabric in the heart of Luxembourg."
Founded in 1967 by Norman Foster, Foster + Partners is one of the world's best-known architecture studios. The firm has recently completed the luxury Principal Tower in London, Philadelphia's tallest building, a domed winery in France and an Apple Store in central Tokyo.
Foster is one of the founders of the high-tech architecture movement. His early high-tech buildings include the Willis Faber & Dumas building in Ipswich, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Headquarters in Hong Kong and the Renault Distribution Centre in Swindon.
Photography is by Nigel Young.