What a story! Godel Mode in Avenches, which became Trianon in Payerne in 2009, finally transformed into Zanotta Mode in 2012. From a small shop to a ready-to-wear chain playing in the big leagues, this is the fourth store and the third project to pass through our hands. After La Broye and then Sion, the story continues in Yverdon, the capital of the Jura-Nord Vaudois district.

It was quite a project! Converting a former bank situated in a building in the town centre, originally built in the 17th century, we had to respect not only the existing structure but also its history! It was therefore only natural that some remnants of the building’s previous uses, still in place, were preserved, such as the walkways and metal staircases, whilst others, which were relatively substantial, had to be removed. The vault was thus ‘broken into’; the safes, which had unfortunately been carefully emptied beforehand, were cut open so they could be removed, and the bulletproof glass was taken out, thereby creating new circulation routes and defining new spaces to be utilised.

The premises, already steeped in history and brimming with architectural details from various eras, called for a delicate approach. Consequently, few structural alterations were made, apart from the removal of unnecessary elements.

We used fine, understated materials, such as solid wood for the floors, thereby unifying the different spaces; this wood is also incorporated into the furniture, appearing here and there on the back panels and on the till unit. Other pieces of furniture consist of slender, welded steel elements, keeping a low profile and allowing the lion’s share of attention to be given to this architecture, which is over a century old and deserved to be showcased.