Hermès Builds a 6,200 m² Brick Workshop in Normandie

Craft as the Foundation of Architecture From the project’s earliest sketches, Lina Ghotmeh treated craft not as something happening behind workshop doors, but as the foundation for the architecture itself.

Her studio describes the building as marked by the power of the hand, where alignment and organicity meet to create a space that feels precise yet quietly human.

The design began with a reflection on the gesture of building and how it could echo the gestures of making: cutting, stitching, burnishing, and assembling leather goods. Large brick arches repeat in a 9 metre grid, a rhythm that recalls movement and daily routines while keeping spaces intimate and to a human scale.

Brick by Brick: A Living, Local Material The Hermès Workshops stand on a former industrial brownfield, their low profile wrapped in sweeping brick arches that frame generous windows and courtyards…