French fancy: Luxury plays rough with technology

Paris – Luxury boutique L’eclaireur has launched a multi-experiential retail environment in its new store on the rue de Sévigné in the Marais neighbourhood. The intriguing space, designed by Arne Quinze, features a mix of technology, recycled materials and art installations.

More than two tons of wooden planks form a series of tactile, uneven surfaces, among which 147 animated computer screens hang on the walls. The Microsoft Surface multi-touch computer has also been installed so customers may interact with digital displays. The store’s centerpiece is ‘Roombook’, an installation by high-tech design duo Electronic Shadow, which features an ongoing narrative so visitors keep coming back.

Besides calling on key concepts of Alphalux design, L’éclaireur effectively demonstrates how leading-edge technology can offer a different, interactive experience to a luxury retailer.