At 69 Rue des Saints-Pères on Paris’s Left Bank, contemporary porcelain house Saints Pères has opened its flagship showroom, designed by architect and creative director Onur Kece of The Refreshment Club.
The 160-square-metre space is conceived as both boutique and laboratory, offering visitors an immersive encounter with the material and sensory rituals that define porcelain-making.
Kece draws directly from the raw processes of clay and fire. Red brick walls and counters are stacked dry without mortar, a reference to the interiors of traditional kilns as well as industrial pallet systems with their rhythmic repetition. Opposite the entrance, a rough stone wall evokes the layered strata of clay quarries, grounding the boutique in the earthbound origins of its core material. Surfaces remain raw and tactile, with imperfect edges and porous thresholds that encourage uninterrupted movement and intuitive exploration.
Illumination is central to the atmosphere. A full-ceiling lightbox filters a soft, even light across the space, echoing the clarity of a sunlit day. Textures are warmed, edges softened, and materials heightened, lending a tactile richness to every surface. At the far end, a poured-concrete counter anchors an open workshop, where the act of making remains visible and ongoing.
The boutique is structured around three active zones that reinterpret the art de la table through contemporary gestures. An olive oil bar presents rare extra virgin varieties from across the globe for tasting, while a custom coffee bar offers in-house roasted blends. A modular hospitality zone further extends the program, hosting chef-led dinners, tastings, and collaborations with artists.
Through this layered spatial narrative, Saints Pères positions porcelain not only as a crafted object but as a daily practice of attention, care, and sensory presence. Kece’s design embodies this philosophy, creating a boutique that invites visitors to slow down, observe, touch, and taste, while experiencing porcelain in a state of transformation.
Images courtesy of The Refreshment Club via Dezeen
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