NikeSKIMS has opened a temporary architectural intervention in Paris that reads as a fully resolved spatial project rather than a short-term retail exercise. Located in the Marais and designed by Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios, the pop-up reframes the act of shopping through enclosure, repetition, and controlled sensory conditions. Open from February 3 to February 8, the space explores how brand identity can be translated into architecture through material restraint and spatial discipline.
FASHION RETAIL
The interior takes the form of a continuous circular room, finished entirely in SKIMS’ signature warm chocolate brown. Floors, walls, ceilings, and display elements share the same tonal register, producing a near-monochrome environment where edges dissolve and volume becomes the primary architectural language. There is no natural light. Instead, the space relies on artificial illumination calibrated to flatten contrast and draw attention to form, surface, and proximity. This deliberate withdrawal from the exterior city reinforces a sense of isolation, positioning the pop-up as an inward-facing environment.
Nuriev’s approach favors softness without decoration. Curves dominate the plan, eliminating sharp transitions and directing movement in a slow, uninterrupted loop. The architecture resists spectacle in favor of immersion, asking visitors to adjust their pace and awareness as they move through the space. In this context, the pop-up functions almost as an installation, where circulation, scale, and color work together to shape perception rather than simply host product.
The absence of windows and visual reference points heightens the physical presence of the interior. Dark ceilings compress the vertical dimension, while the circular geometry removes hierarchy between entrance, display, and exit. Everything exists on a single spatial plane. This strategy aligns closely with Crosby Studios’ broader practice, where domestic and commercial interiors often blur into abstract environments that prioritize mood over function, even when function remains central.
Within this architectural shell, NikeSKIMS’ Spring ’26 collection is presented as part of a larger spatial system. Footwear, apparel, and accessories are integrated into the architecture rather than placed against it, reinforcing the idea of continuity between body, garment, and space. Displays feel embedded rather than applied, allowing the architecture to remain dominant while still supporting retail use.
The project also reflects a broader shift in how pop-ups operate within contemporary design culture. Rather than acting as temporary branding gestures, spaces like this one aim to leave a conceptual impression that extends beyond their physical lifespan. By investing in architectural coherence and sensory control, NikeSKIMS positions the pop-up as a site of experience rather than transaction.
Located at 10 rue de Turenne, the NikeSKIMS Paris pop-up demonstrates how temporary retail can function as architectural research. Through color, enclosure, and geometry, Nuriev and Crosby Studios have created a space that prioritizes spatial identity, using architecture to articulate the brand’s values with precision and restraint.
