Camper Pompidou | Jorge Penadés

Just a short walk from the Pompidou Centre, Jorge Penadés is unveiling his most ambitious project with Camper to date: an inventive refurbishment of their flagshi store in Paris.

Taking inspiration from the design language of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers’ Pompidou Centre, Jorge pays homage to the iconic building with his own distinctive take, developing a remarkable shelving system that follows the entirety of the store’s walls in a continuous gesture – dramatically encapsulates the interior of the store. Just as the Pompidou Centre exposes the technical elements of the building,

Jorge’s shelving system is constructed from cable metal trays, repurposing a technical element that is usually hidden away for the display of the products.

Jorge’s refurbishment uses unexpected joints and forms to make use of the striking 5-meter long windows. While the shelving system playfully references the local design history, the brand’s Mediterranean roots are present through the presence of raw plaster finish of the walls, handmade clay tiles that serve as tops in the cash desk, the welcoming seating areas and the product focus table by the entrance.

Known for taking an imaginative approach to the design of retail spaces, Jorge makes ample use of this highly visible site to begin a visually and conceptually ambitious conversation with Parisian passers-by, arriving at a moment when the Pompidou is closed for the next four years for renovation. But through the eyecatching red palette and immersive nature of the display, Jorge has created his own mini-Pomidou a few seconds away, fostering a moment of exchange between design history, shoppers and the general public.

“What strikes me most about the Pompidou is the rebellious spirit it embodies, and everything Piano and Rogers went through during the selection and construction to make it happen. And reflecting on my own trajectory, when I was commissioned for my first Camper store in 2018, I was fresh out of school with no experience in retail. I am forever grateful to Miguel Fluxá, Camper’s CEO, who took a real risk on me then. Our relationship has been building for years, culminating in this major project.”

– Jorge Penadés

Photography: AsierRua

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