Van Cleef & Arpels Paris is a jewellery boutique designed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, based on a reinterpretation of the Parisian interior inspired by Place Vendôme. The project combines traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to translate the Maison’s identity into a contemporary retail environment.
The project is rooted in a precise reading of the site and its cultural context. Adjacent to Van Cleef & Arpels’ historic address on Place Vendôme, renovated by Jouin Manku in 2006, the boutique at 20 Place Vendôme develops a new chapter in the relationship between the designers and the Maison. Their approach does not replicate the existing space, but rather proposes a new interpretation capable of expressing wonder, refinement and continuity with the brand’s heritage.
Van Cleef & Arpels Paris: a retail interior shaped through stone
The designers selected Paris limestone as the primary material, treating it as Van Cleef & Arpels’ craftsmen might: beginning with raw stone and gradually transforming it into a design defined by poetry, movement, subtlety and finesse. This choice connects the project directly to the architectural identity of Place Vendôme, the public square designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart at the end of the reign of Louis XIV as a restrained and geometric octagon entirely in stone.
An avant-garde spirit
Van Cleef & Arpels and Jouin Manku have long been united by a shared passion for creativity, ingenuity and innovation. That relationship is reflected in the interior design of the Maison’s boutiques in Hong Kong, New York and Paris, as well as in major exhibitions dedicated to Van Cleef & Arpels, including The Spirit of Beauty at the Mori Arts Center in Tokyo, Set in Style at the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum in New York, Timeless Beauty at MOCA in Shanghai, L’Art de la Haute Joaillerie at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and The Art and Science of Gems at ArtScience Museum in Singapore in 2016.
At 20 Place Vendôme, this collaboration takes the form of a retail design project that interprets the Maison’s universe through architecture, atmosphere and material precision. The result is a boutique that feels both contemporary and unmistakably Parisian.
An exceptional showcase for the jewellery collections
To stage the display of jewellery and watches, Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku organise the interior through curves and organic forms. The boutique unfolds as a sequence of soft geometries, where the spatial composition supports the perception of the collections without overwhelming them.
Softly coloured materials create a calibrated contrast with the brilliance of the precious stones: smoked wood, wool and silk rugs, and embroidered textiles for walls and ceilings contribute to a refined and intimate atmosphere. Particular attention is paid to the display cabinets, conceived not simply as functional elements but as objects in their own right. Stone surrounds, sculpted smoked oak backdrops and domes covered in gold leaf reinforce the sense of warmth and precision throughout the boutique.
The staircase as the key architectural feature
Upon arrival, the visitor’s gaze is drawn to the staircase, the key architectural feature of the project. A recurring element in Jouin Manku’s work, the stair gives the space a theatrical dimension and encourages further exploration. Here, its technical complexity is deliberately concealed, echoing Van Cleef & Arpels’ Serti Mystérieux™ setting technique, known for making the structural system of precious stones almost invisible.
The staircase is made from seven large blocks of numerically milled stone, pierced through the centre and held together by a suspended cable that gives the structure rigidity, almost like a spinal column. The wrought-iron handrail, inspired by butterfly wings, introduces another typically Parisian material and adds lightness to an otherwise solid composition. Delicacy, transparency and movement define this sculptural element, which leads visitors toward the upper floor.
An elegant and fluid atmosphere upstairs
On the upper floor, the mineral presence of stone and wrought iron is balanced by a palette ranging from grey and beige to subtle sea green. Display cases and ceilings are decorated with plant motifs carved in plaster or stone, while embroidered textiles echo the same visual language across walls and ceilings. These natural references recall forms often associated with Van Cleef & Arpels’ designs.
The salons on this level align with arched windows overlooking Place Vendôme and its column, reinforcing the connection between the interior and the Parisian urban setting. Relief-work tangles of leaves, butterflies, birds and stars surround the windows, introducing a decorative layer that remains integrated with the overall architectural concept. Along a corridor, purpose-built cases display objects and documents from the Maison’s archives, adding a narrative dimension to the visitor experience. Furniture designed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku further strengthens the coherence of the space.
Interpreting the precision of a jeweller’s work
The guiding idea behind the project is to celebrate the distinctly Parisian character of the premises while creating a soft, welcoming environment through which visitors can move naturally. The existing series of adjoining salons is transformed into themed spaces where jewellery is displayed alongside the story of Van Cleef & Arpels, allowing visitors to discover the Maison’s origins, history and creativity.
At 20 Place Vendôme, Jouin Manku develop an architectural interpretation of the precision and minutiae of a jeweller’s craft. To achieve this, they collaborate with highly skilled specialists, including decorative plasterers, stone carvers, metalworkers and carpenters. Their combined expertise allows the project to reach a high level of execution while responding to the specific technical challenges posed by the design.
A project that celebrates human skills
Just as Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewellery depends on manual expertise, this boutique takes shape through the coordinated work of designers, craftsmen and specialist contractors. New technologies support the process, but they do not replace the role of human skill. Instead, they extend what craftsmanship can achieve within a contemporary retail environment.
The convergence of design vision and exceptional execution results in a space that brings jewellery into a contemporary architectural realm while maintaining an unmistakably Parisian identity. Through stone, light, furniture and display design, the boutique expresses a precise balance between heritage and innovation.
Agence Jouin Manku
Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, Jong Kim, Elodie Martin, Tania Cohen, Charles Pons, Julien Lizé
Site architect SLA Architecture
Lighting Design Voyons-voir
Contractors
Stone stair Atelier Jean-Loup Bouvier
Wrought-ironwork AOF
Plasterwork Sofrastyl
Fit-out/ Furniture Gendre
Furniture SPB
Embroidery Stéphane Corler
Gilding Goard
Parquet Rocacher
Electrics, lighting Henri
Main contractor Lefaure et Rigaud
Location Paris, France
Design / Architecture Agence Jouin Manku
Photo credit Eric Laignel
by AN Shopfitting Magazine no.134 ©