On May 5, Chanel Beverly Hills opened its doors, welcoming the world into 50,000 square feet of design perfection. The brand’s largest store in the United States is a beacon of modern minimalism on Rodeo Drive that commands undivided attention at every square inch. The bold structure is a clean canvas with shades of white, black and gold throughout that help bring attention to the luxury merchandise showcased on all four floors of the store. In addition to the assortment of the brand’s iconic products, collectible works of art and furniture by the likes of everyone from Michael Rovner to Goosens Paris offer an experiential shopping journey that wraps around a large sunlit atrium.
DCC leadership relied heavily upon a large pool of talent to build the structure imagined and designed by Chanel go-to, famed architect Peter Marino. The 3 year-long project saw as many as 150 workers a day coming through the barricade entrance to bring the blueprints to life, and the team could not have gotten through any of it without their successful, long standing relationship with construction managers, Watershed Partners.
The project endured enormous challenges that began on day one. The teardown of the existing building and the rebuild following suit required tremendous precautionary measures be taken as the structure abuts up to neighboring buildings, making it a zero lot line space. In addition to the sensitivity of the engineering curveballs, another hurdle to overcome was the fast tracking of the project. With Chanel looking to bring its spring/summer 2023 ready-to-wear collection to its clientele in a timely fashion, the store’s opening date was pushed up four solid weeks ahead of schedule. On top of it all, an unexpected battle with weather hovered over construction as Southern California experienced an historically prolonged winter season with record-breaking rainfall pounding the region.
