Bal Harbour

O ne architect, one brand, 25 years: I can't think of another fashion brand that's been that loyal and I mean that sincerely," enthuses Peter Marino, who has realized somewhere near 200 projects for Chanel over the past several decades. An eminent figure in the fashion world, the architect known for his edgy biker style and work with prominent clients including Andy Warhol has forged an unprecedented design partnership with the fashion icon. What is it that makes Chanel stand out in Marino's mind? "Coco Chanel was a modernist, a non-conformist, a very original spirit in the time she lived," he says. "And the Chanel brand still has a kind of modernity that never goes out of fashion. My wife, a costume designer, has about 30 years of Chanel in her closet and she still wears all of it. Which other brand can people say that about?" The architect began working with Chanel during what he playfully calls "the R.o.K. or Reign of Karl" several years after Karl Lagerfeld took on the role of creative director—a position he held for more than three decades. "I'd been working for the Wertheimer family, who own Chanel, since 1984 so when they were shopping for a new architect for the brand, having done so many homes for the owner, they considered me. Lagerfeld's time with Chanel is almost unequalled. I came in at the height of his power." Since then, Marino has been charged with exclusively designing all of Chanel's stores around the world and has done so incorporating brand references like the use of black and white and playing up his affinity for pearls. It's this impressive portfolio of work that Marino is showcasing in his new book, The Architecture of CHANEL, out this fall from Phaidon. The design tome shines a light on 16 of the most significant buildings Marino designed for the fashion house, illustrating their shared drive for innovation and reverence for lessons of the past, linking classic and modern, sophisticated and simple, irreverent and respectful. "There's no other brand that's given one architect an opportunity like this over so many years," Marino explains. "It's an unusual loyalty which I'm trying to show produces great variety in work that still reflects the core value of the brand. I made this book to show some of the full-scale buildings, sometimes skyscrapers, we've created around the world that consist of complete architecture, complete interior design, complete accessorizing." Over the years, Marino has designed each building to create a modern yet timeless space that embodies THE LEGENDARY ARCHITECT AND PATRON OF THE ARTS PETER MARINO LOOKS BACK ON HIS 25 - YEAR - LONG COLLABORATION WITH CHANEL. By Lauren Hill PHOTO BY Y.Z. KAMI (PORTRAIT), MANOLO YLLERA (ISTANBUL). IMAGES FROM THE ARCHITECTURE OF CHANEL, COURTESY OF PHAIDON Other notable projects included in the book are the five-story New York 57th Street location featuring the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel's 60-foot suspended bead-like sculpture referencing Chanel's pearls and other site- specific stores which rise up from the streets of cities ranging from Istanbul to Tokyo. "The Chanel Tower in Tokyo was an opportunity to really do something new," notes Marino of the building's innovative glass and LED screen façade. "That store, technically, is probably one of the greatest achievements of my lifetime." Each project that's come out of this 25-year Chanel and Marino partnership pairs hallmarks of the legendary fashion brand with the creative expression of an architect who sculpts spaces and experiments with materials. "The Wertheimers are wonderful to work for because they believe in me as an artist," says Marino. "They've always given me a lot of creative freedom." Opposite, architect Peter Marino in front of a portrait of Coco Chanel by Y.Z. Kami; here, Chanel, Istanbul, Bağdat Street. the spirit of Chanel. He also draws on his fine art background—collaborating with an ever-increasing number of artists—elevating retail spaces to become cultural experiences. "My background in fine art makes me more sensitive to color, texture, human visual perception and abstract architectural theory," he says. "I go to art galleries every single Saturday and I have my own art foundation. I'm always looking for new talent to work with." At Chanel Bal Harbour, Marino's approach results in a space that combines the brand's classic black-and-white aesthetic with shades of gold and an exterior pairing white marble with floor-to-ceiling windows. Specially commissioned works by artists including Peter Dayton, Marc Swanson and Liza Lou meet design features such as an 18th-century Regency fireplace mantel and Goossens bronze chandelier with crystal ornamentation. BAL HARBOUR 143

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