Cool Spaces: Inside Le Drugstore

WORDS Amelia Brown

Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio has reimagined the interiors for legendary Paris restaurant, Le Drugstore.

Publicis Drugstore was created in 1958 by Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, founder of the world-renowned advertising agency Publicis Group, to bring American consumer convenience and bar culture to the Parisian public. Located at the very top of the Champs-Élysées and open until 2am, the complex continues to offer a diverse array of goods under one roof – from books, pastries and jewellery to cigars and champagne.

Now after almost 60 years, Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio (DRS) has reimagined the interior of the renamed restaurant Le Drugstore. “The unique Parisian identity of Publicis Drugstore has always inspired me,” says Tom. “For this legendary restaurant, what interested me was to slow people down, to put them at ease. I also wanted to bring together a team around a project where everything would be orchestrated in a synchronised fashion, from 8am to 2am. I used the tradition of a classical brasserie decor and took it elsewhere, far from convention.”

The 350m² interior is warmly lit with the main feature being an illuminated coffered ceiling featuring Tom Dixon’s copper Melt Surface light which launched at Milan’s Salone del Mobile in April 2017. DRS have simplified and enhanced the interior architecture to highlight a broad palette of extraordinary finishes and honest materials designed to last and improve with age. The timber walls and unique marble bars are complimented by deep tones of oxblood upholstery and brass fixtures that combine to make a contemporary nod to the glamour and sophistication of the 1960’s world of advertising.

An exclusive range of seating has been designed especially for Le Drugstore comprising of dining and low and high bar stools. Fabricated in steel and upholstered in leather and fabric, the range is inspired by a 1950’s collection created for Publicis Drugstore by Mathieu Mategot, the celebrated Mid-Century French decorator.

Find out more about Le Drugstore at restaurantledrugstore.com.