Giving More Visibility to the Paris City Hall Store

Signage, Architecture & Heritage, Arts & Culture, Public & Politic
Paris Rendez-Vous
Paris, France, 2018
Photographer : Julien Discrit

In July 2018, the Tourist Office of the City of Paris joined the city’s boutique, Paris Rendez-vous, at 29 rue de Rivoli. Located opposite the BHV department store, the shop suffered from a lack of visibility despite the presence of a tarpaulin and kakemonos indicating its existence. How could we restore visibility to the entrance when the tarpaulin was too large and off-center, and the kakemonos were positioned too high to be effective?

During the assessment phase, we noted that, in addition to a lack of effective signage, the place suffered from its image: passers-by did not consider it as a shop. Because it is located within City Hall, the entrance is similar to that of an institution, and the antiterrorism Vigipirate plan renders it unwelcoming.

We set up a graphic universe around the colors of the French flag: “Paris Rendez-vous” in Klein blue, the tourist office in bright red. To reinforce the symmetry of the facade, we placed colored signboards on each side of the door. We used the advertising boards located in front of number 29: the left side dressed in blue, the right side in red. A carpet featuring these colors now adorns the stairs and extends onto the pavement to welcome visitors.