For craftsmanship to be truly timeless, it must be not only consistently brilliant in execution but also adaptive in spirit, keeping pace with shifting tastes.
Such agility has long been mastered by Baccarat, the venerable French crystal company, which will celebrate its 250th anniversary next year.
In anticipation of that milestone, the brand has just unveiled a gleaming new Manhattan flagship store, a setting that pays homage to Baccarat’s enduring legacy while also projecting a forward-thinking sensibility.
The 2,800-square-foot space was designed by Rafael de Cárdenas Ltd./Architecture at Large.
With offices in New York, London, and soon Paris, Cárdenas has become well-known for devising bold, au courant shops, restaurants, and residences.
At first glance, the traditional artistry of Baccarat’s ornate offerings (explored in Baccarat: 250 Years of Craftsmanship and Creativity from Rizzoli) might seem out of sync with Cárdenas’s distinctively edgy style. But Baccarat has for years been collaborating with inventive contemporary designers—Philippe Starck, Arik Levy, and Jaime Hayon among them.
And Cárdenas shares the brand’s affinity for striking forms and crisp, elegantly chiseled details, all of which feature prominently in the new outpost.
“I approached the project with faceting and cutting in mind,” he says.
Paneled in corrugated Macassar ebony, the double-height front gallery highlights a range of the French brand’s signature pieces.
References to such techniques abound, whether in the glass façade’s etched triangular motif or the front gallery’s corrugated Macassar-ebony walls, embedded with LEDs and strips of mirror.
That double-height space serves as a showcase for some of the firm’s signature pieces, including chandeliers installed in a whimsical constellation overhead and exquisite candelabra arranged on freestanding boxlike pedestals. Deeper within the shop are rooms for additional displays of jewelry, decorative objects, stemware, and the full range of light fixtures.
Through-out these areas Cárdenas chose materials—from warm-gray suede and black granite to white-gold leaf and stainless steel—that either foreground or reflect the precious items. Several wall expanses are shingled in crystal tiles from a soon-to-be-released line with exciting architectural applications. The overall atmosphere is moody and intimate. “Crystal lends itself to a dark palette and dim light,” Cárdenas notes.
Creating dynamic spaces is clearly on the company’s mind: Just blocks away, construction is under way on the Baccarat Hotel & Residences, a 50-story tower designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that promises to be as dazzling as the new flagship. As Cárdenas says of Baccarat’s legendary workmanship, “They certainly don’t cut corners.” Baccarat flagship, 635 Madison Ave., New York, NY; baccarat.com
More From Architectural Digest:
Aerin Lauder's debut home collections
Thom Filicia talks to AD about his design for Delta's new outdoor Sky Deck lounges