French architecture firm Studio KO has completed the Yves Saint Laurent museum with a textured brickwork in Marrakech, Morocco, which is the first fashion museum in Africa dedicated to the work and life of French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent. 

The 4,000-square-metre building features a simplistic facade playing with powder-colored brickwork and traditional Moroccan materials like, soft-colorer granite, glazed bricks, zellige tiles, laurel branches and oak in the interiors. 

Officially opened its doors to the public on 19 October 2017, the museum is located on Rue Yves Saint Laurent near Jardin Majorelle, a garden he and Pierre Bergé saved from development in 1980 and that has now become, with its museum dedicated to Berber culture, a major cultural site in Marrakech with almost 700,000 visitors every year.

The new Yves Saint Laurent museum consists of a large permanent exhibition space designed by scenographist Christophe Martin, showcasing the collections of it's namesake, alongside temporary exhibition spaces, a research library housing 6,000 volumes and archives, a 150-seat auditorium, bookstore, and a terrace café.

Combining two worlds - fashion and Morocco - in the same place, the architects are inspired by the couturier's works and reflect his style on the museum by using local materials and building techniques. 

All materiality gives a clear reference to the fashion icon's style - such as the pea coat, trench coat, 'smoking', pantsuit and safari jacket are integral parts to a woman’s everyday wardrobe, is a voyage to the heart of what influenced the architects.

Dedicated to the work of the great couturier, it conserves a part of the collection belonging to the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent. Housed at 5 Avenue Marceau in Paris, the collection includes 5,000 articles of clothing and 15,000 haute couture accessories, as well as tens of thousands of drawings.

"To this day, this collection has no equivalent in the international haute couture milieu. A real pioneer, Yves Saint Laurent is the only designer of his generation who decided to systematically archive his work since the creation of his couture house in 1961. From original sketches to prototypes, warehouse records to retailing books, the collection is unique in scope, scale and range," said Fondation Pierre Bergé.

"Since the founding of our architectural firm, we have worked in this country that so inspired Yves Saint Laurent. It is with great joy that we have worked on this ambitious project, and contributed in our way to the history and prestige of the most influential fashion designer of the 20th century," said Studio KO.

Studio KO first unveiled plans last year and they said: "this building will be more than a simple museum." The French architectural firm, founded and headed by Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty. They have overseen numerous residential and public projects in Morocco, Great Britain and the United States

The museum's library, located on the second floor of the museum, researchers can consult the exceptional collection of rare books – some dating to the 17th century – on Morocco, the history of the Kingdom, its literature and traditional arts. 

The general public, students and researchers can consult the books by appointment. The library’s collection includes many volumes related to the arts, fashion, architecture, landscaping, botany, the material and immaterial heritage of Morocco, as well as worldwide literature. 

While studying the couturier’s archives, Studio KO became intrigued by the duality between curved and straight lines, and between loose and precise approaches to cutting fabric. 

The facade of the building appears as an intersection of cubes with a lace-like covering of bricks, creating patterns that recall the weft and warp of fabric. As with the lining of a couture jacket, the interior is radically different: velvety, smooth and radiant.

The Yves Saint Laurent exhibition hall features 50 pieces selected from the collection will be displayed around themes dear to Yves Saint Laurent – Masculine-Feminine, Black, Africa and Morocco, Imaginary Voyages, Gardens and Art – offering an original interpretation of the couturier’s work using garments that, until now, have rarely been seen by the public. The garments on display will be rotated regularly, in order to ensure their conservation and to constantly revive the exhibition.

The museum scenographer Christophe Martin has highlighted the displayed pieces against a black and minimal background. The garments are seen alongside immersive audiovisual elements – sketches, photographs, runway shows, films, voices and music – that, by offering a sort of dialogue with the garments, reveal the couturier’s creative process and invite us into his world.

The Yves Saint Laurent temporary exhibition hall, conceived as cultural and artistic aperture, welcome diverse exhibitions related to fashion, art, contemporary art and design, anthropology and botany. Exhibition design was curated by Christophe Martin.

The museum's cafe, Le Studio, takes its name from Yves Saint Laurent's workspace at 5 Avenue Marceau in Paris, and evokes the calm and intimate environment where the couturier would retreat and work. 

The materials used in the café reflect the simple and subdued atmosphere of the couturier’s workspace. The pale-coloured wood, plaster light fixtures and white marble at the café’s entrance create a monastic and contemporary feel. A large, panoramic drawing by Ulrich Gassmann of Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris studio reminds us of the café’s namesake. 

The calmness is underscored by the wicker furniture; its saffron colour brightens and provides warmth to the room. A harmony of styles and cultures is provided by the Japanese-inspired curtains. More than just a café, this is a place one retreats to after the emotional impact of the museum.

Le Studio can seat up to 75 people. The menu offers traditional Moroccan and inventive French dishes that take advantage of the best quality local ingredients and produce.

The auditorium is a wish fulfilled: advanced technology and striking architecture working together to create a vibrant hub for the museum. This space can adapt itself to the diverse needs of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech. 

The designers have created a projec- tion and performance space that is both sober and comfortable. The architecture combines modern and contemporary elements. One is immersed in the universe of Yves Saint Laurent through a state- of-the-art projection system.

The opening of the museum in Marrakech coincides with the other Yves Saint Laurent museum in Paris, is located at the former fashion house and also serves headquarters of the Fondation Pierre Bergé. 

"Since Morocco remained essential to his inspiration and work, it felt natural to build a museum there to host the collection of the Fondation," said the Fondation.

All images © Nicolas Mathéus

> via Studio KO/ Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech