On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, UniFor, a company of the Molteni Group that develops and manufactures solutions for the contemporary office, is restoring and renewing the historic showroom of its French branch, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1979.
The newly renovated spaces has been inaugurated during Paris Design Week in celebration of both UniFor’s first 50 years, the history of which is illustrated in a prestigious book published by Skira, “UniFor. A Commitment to Architecture,” and its 40 years on the French market at its historic and prestigious Paris location on Rue des Saint-Peres. The year was 1978 when the Molteni family founded UniFor France and entrusted Afra and Tobia Scarpa with the task of transforming the former residential apartment at 6 Rue des Saints-Pères into spaces suitable for receiving its clients and presenting the UniFor collection. The showroom was launched the following year.
Afra and Tobia Scarpa were already prestigious figures in the world of architecture and industrial design in Italy when they were asked to convert the narrow spaces of the building into a headquarters capable of transmitting the essence of the company’s message: modernity, efficiency, and elegance.
The results were classical yet unpretentious, timeless, and therefore always up-to-date.
The archival documents consulted during the renovation present a faithful transcription of a tireless process of experimentation. Every detail – as demonstrated by numerous sketches – was entirely custom-designed, even such small, utilitarian elements as the storm drains and the housing for the electrical outlets.
The renovation project, overseen by the architect Simone Agresta, leaves Afra and Tobia Scarpa's original project intact while reinterpreting the spaces in a modern key.
UniFor has operated since the very beginning as a factory workshop at the disposal of the best creative talents. In France, too, close collaboration with the most prestigious architectural firms and specialization in large projects, an approach that has been consolidated over the years, has resulted in many important commissions, including the headquarters of such luxury brands as Louis Vuitton International and Balenciaga, but also places of culture, such as the Musée Quai Branly, the Bibliothèque de l'École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the Philharmonie in Paris, the National and University Library in Strasbourg, and the Musée de la Préhistoire in Bordeaux.
The Fondation Cartier is another project that must be mentioned. The Molteni Group has enjoyed a privileged relationship with its architect, Jean Nouvel, for many years, and UniFor realized the furniture for the project in 1994, giving rise to its Less series.
The Less furniture series, together with other iconic products of the past, present, and future of UniFor, are the focus of the new installation in the Paris showroom, which extends over 240 square meters on two levels.
UniFor France Sarl
6, rue des Saint Pères
75007 Paris
t +33 1 45 08 9261
