The renowned flagship boutique of the French jeweler reemerges after a two-year renovation
The birthplace and the matrix of all inspirations—the Parisian address of Cartier has opened its doors anew after an extensive two-year revamp of its landmark building situated along Place Vendôme. The archetypal French building, personally handpicked by Alfred and Louis Cartier in 1899, has been at the center of a creative transformation to mark its new chapter in the 21st century. The redesign is a tribute to modernity, space and light, and Cartier’s signature creative style that has been well-loved by dignitaries and exceptional personalities all over the world.
The reconstruction of the Parisian Maison marks the last of three flagship renovations for Cartier: London’s New Bond Street finished in 2018 and Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Mansion completed in 2022.
“13 Paix is Cartier’s historic and Parisian home. We had to consider this legacy, find a contemporary narrative for its classic architecture, and play with the codes of this iconic symbol,”
Nicolas Vérine, Director of Cartier’s Architecture Department
The boutique’s neoclassical structure and black marble façade may have seemingly remained the same throughout its reinvention from June 2020 to October 2022, but its exterior was given a botanical touch through a vertical plant design enhanced by Mathilde Laurent, designer of Cartier perfumes, together with floral design specialist Studio Mary Lennox. While its foundations have been preserved, the interiors of 13 Paix, across all six levels of the Maison, have gone through a major restyling that is still true to the design codes of Louis Cartier and Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s Creative Director from 1933 to the early 70s.
At the helm of this renovation were three teams of architects with a long-standing history with the Maison, Claire Bétaille and Bruno Moinard of Moinard Bétaille, the architecture agency that has designed Cartier boutiques through the years, Laurène Barbier Tardrew and Romain Jourdan of Studioparisien, and Laura Gonzalez. The teams were delegated to reimagine each level to become a space that is profoundly harmonious and reverent to the brand’s unique past while coexisting with its present and future.
“The architects we chose to accompany us on this exceptional adventure had to provide their talent to the fullest in an uncompromising way while being part of a multi-voiced ensemble,” says Vérine. He continues, “It is this meeting of perspectives, approaches, and styles that makes the new 13 Paix an architectural and decorative ensemble like no other, and the most accurate reflection of the Cartier spirit.”
The heart of High Jewelry
With such gusto to reinvent the historic abode of Cartier, the 32,300-square-foot building spread over six levels has been redesigned with fluidity and function for its loyal clients and friends of the Maison. The Cartier flagship has shifted from columns, Eiffel-style iron features, and central staircase from the 2005 renovation. In place of these, a lofty space that opens to natural light welcomes you to evoke a sense of openness and sharing throughout its salons and nooks.
The boutique occupies the ground and the first two floors of the building, while the third floor is dedicated to the French jewelers’ wide range of services available to their clients. Its fourth floor caters to High Jewelry workshops, and the fifth and top floors are dedicated to the Maison’s archives, a winter garden, and the Residence, an exclusive space for living, entertaining, and hosting cultural events.
“By reinventing itself in 2022, this place which laid the foundations of modern and contemporary jewelry, which saw the invention of the modern wristwatch and the birth of the Panther, continues and reaffirms its place and role in a radiant Paris. A Paris of taste and savoir-faire that remains a reference for the entire world,” says Pierre Rainero, Director of Image, Style, and Heritage at Cartier.
In the Philippines, Cartier is located at Greenbelt 4, Solaire Resorts and Casino, and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza.
