Birkenstock 1774:

The 170 square metre showroom is located in a typical Haussmann style Paris apartment with panelled walls, intercommunicating rooms, stone fireplaces and parquet floors. Birkenstock 1774’s new interior concept was conceived by Nick Vinson of Vinson& Co, who has sourced new and vintage furniture, furnishings and decor in a palette of warm wood and aged, lived in leather from across Europe.

Functional and flexible oak tables by Philipp Mainzer throughout the space are paired up with Cab chairs designed by Mario Bellini in 1978 complete with the patina of life visible in the tan bridle leather, 1950’s plywood Medea chairs by Vittorio Nobili and in the executive offices specially sourced, used, soft-pad chairs by Charles and Ray Eames. 

Footwear is displayed on Achille Castiglioni’s Lungangolo book shelf, a 1940’s folding glass and oak trolley, Aldo Bakker’s Tri-Angle stools or Simon Hasan’s Cleft Oak benches. Other seating of note include Toogood’s Roly-Poly chairs in raw colored fibre glass which sit alongside Pierre Jeanneret’s 1954 arm chairs, handmade in Chandigarh, India.

Carpeting is in rush fibre, cultivated and woven in the UK, ceramics designed in the 1940’s and 50’s by Swiss ceramist Margit Linck sit side by side Simon Hasan’s boiled leather vases and lighting comes from Carl Auböck or J.T Kalmar both from the 1950’s. 

Specially commissioned art panels by London-based embroiderer Geraldine Larkin, in jute and felt, reference the foot sole and uppers of Birkenstock’s footwear. Other artworks include important Lithographs by Hans Hartung and Edoardo Chillida. Ceramics from Anaphi, trays by Michaël Verheyden and tableware from John Pawson, Wrap vases by Simon Hasan and Pride cutlery by David Mellor complete the curated selection of accessories.