Paul Smith Albemarle Street store by 6a Architects

Paul Smith has opened a new flagship store on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street designed by 6a Architects, selling menswear and womenswear as well as a selection of furniture. The new Albemarle Street shop front for Paul Smith builds on a familiar material tradition in London. Cast iron forms an understated background to the city’s streets; its railings, gratings, balconies, and lamp posts. Paul’s brief was an eclectic collection of references, images, textures and traditions, encompassing military medals, woven hats and finely drawn gold ingots alongside sharp tailoring, the soft fall of cloth, craftsmanship and delight in surprise.

The interior is decorated with an eclectic mix of stunning design pieces and intricate details, such as the 26,000 dominos covering the accessories room walls.

The ground floor rustication of the Georgian townhouse and the ornamental language of the 18th century shop front were reinterpreted and abstracted in a sinuous pattern of interlocking circles cast into a new solid iron facade. The repetition of the typical Regency shape brought an optical complexity, which with the play of sunlight and shadow turns the pattern into a deep surface texture. Seen obliquely it seems woven, like a fine cloth.

The ground floor hosting an exhibition of items designed by Dieter Rams during his tenure as Director of the Design Department at Braun, including the SK4 turntable and various wall-mounted speakers.