British architectural firm Foster + Partners has completed a striking transformation of a 1970s building on Paris's famous Champs-Élysées, converting it into a sophisticated gallery and restaurant space for American luxury furniture brand RH. The project represents what the architects describe as a "hospitality-driven gallery space" that seamlessly blends retail and leisure experiences in the heart of the French capital.
"Our interventions update and enhance the existing building in a way that is sensitive yet impactful," explained Giles Robinson, senior partner at Foster + Partners. "The design redefines the retail and hospitality experience to create a truly unique destination in the heart of Paris." The renovation demonstrates the firm's expertise in adaptive reuse, breathing new life into an existing structure while respecting its original character.
The RH Paris gallery showcases the brand's furniture collections alongside carefully curated art and antiques, creating an immersive shopping experience that goes beyond traditional retail. The five-story building features multiple exhibition spaces where visitors can explore RH's luxury home furnishings in thoughtfully designed settings that blur the lines between showroom and gallery.
One of the project's most impressive features is the addition of two new rooftop levels to the existing structure. Foster + Partners created a lower-level rooftop space enclosed by elegant arched glazed walls, housing a "winter garden" restaurant that offers diners a light-filled, greenhouse-like atmosphere. Above this, an upper rooftop level features an outdoor champagne bar with stunning panoramic views of Paris, providing guests with an unparalleled vantage point to appreciate the city's iconic skyline.
The building is surrounded by carefully landscaped outdoor spaces that create a buffer between the structure and the busy street, offering visitors a peaceful retreat from the bustling Champs-Élysées. At the rear of the building, Foster + Partners designed a double-height interior design studio specifically for RH, featuring extensive glazed facades that overlook the tranquil garden areas and flood the workspace with natural light.
"The carefully curated hospitality spaces are designed to offer the highest level of luxury and comfort for guests, whether you are dining in the light-filled winter garden or taking in panoramic views of the city from the rooftop bar," said Sarah Wai, architect and partner at Foster + Partners. The design philosophy emphasizes creating memorable experiences that combine dining, shopping, and cultural appreciation.
A particularly innovative aspect of the project is the custom retractable lift system designed to provide access to all floor levels, including the upper rooftop. Due to strict planning constraints that prohibited a conventional elevator enclosure on the rooftop – which would have blocked the crucial sightline to the Eiffel Tower from the Champs-Élysées – Foster + Partners developed a unique solution. The retractable lift remains concealed beneath a hatch when not in use, preserving the unobstructed views. When activated, the lift rises to rooftop level as the hatch opens, revealing a glass parapet wall that surrounds the opening for safety and aesthetic continuity.
This project adds to Foster + Partners' growing portfolio of work on the Champs-Élysées, following their recent transformation of a nearby apartment building into an Apple Store, complete with a distinctive kaleidoscopic solar roof. The firm continues to demonstrate its versatility across different project types and scales, with recent completions including the supertall 270 Park Avenue skyscraper in Manhattan and the Techo International Airport in Cambodia, which features an impressive latticed canopy design. The RH Paris gallery represents another successful example of how thoughtful architectural intervention can create spaces that serve multiple functions while enhancing the urban fabric of one of the world's most prestigious shopping districts.
