Chanel San Diego: A New Concept Boutique Signed by Peter Marino

Chanel has opened a new, freestanding boutique at Westfield UTC in San Diego, California. The two-story building of roughly 1,500 square metres was designed by Peter Marino, the brand’s longtime architectural collaborator.

At the center of the glass-wrapped white stucco structure sits a courtyard anchored by an 18th-century lion sculpture, a nod to one of Gabrielle Chanel’s personal symbols. Sliding glass doors wrap the courtyard, bringing natural light into the interior.

Seven ground-floor salons draw on Gabrielle Chanel’s own Paris apartment, with wave motifs and hand-embroidered textiles nodding to a marine theme. Upstairs, a VIP lounge opens onto a terrace overlooking the courtyard and Marino’s bronze installation “Deep Water,” while works by Norbert Brunner and Vik Muniz complete the space.

The boutique brings together the full breadth of the house: ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fine and high jewelry, the J12 and Première watch collections, and fragrance, makeup, and skincare — an address that redefines Chanel’s vision of retail.