RBC founder Franck Argentin not only sells household items in his design centers, but also opens gourmet restaurants and libraries there (Montpellier will have 4,000 volumes on design, architecture and food preparation), and organizes exhibitions. He also pays great attention to building designs, so Nouvel is not the first of the prominent architects to collaborate with this businessman.
Its construction is a rectangular block, divided in two by an atrium gorge. There are 8 tiers, slightly offset from each other and connected by numerous passages and ladders.
The noble gray tones of the facades and interior emphasize the variety of colors and shapes of furniture, lamps and other items displayed in the showroom.
The facades are equipped with "super graphics" - the "mottos" of RBC: create - dream - read - cook - illuminate - live.
The total area of 2000 m2 includes an outdoor restaurant terrace with 120 seats, for which Nouvel also created furniture.
The RBC is located half a kilometer from the new
city hall, also designed by Jean Nouvel and opened last year. Montpellier is an actively growing city, and along with the typical neighborhoods, public buildings are being built there according to the projects of the "stars": for example, the structures of Zaha Hadid and Massimiliano Fuksas are to open this month.
N. F.
