Lina Ghotmeh — Architecture has crafted the new Hermès Workshops in Normandie , France, as an ode to the hand: a building where the very act of construction mirrors the gestures, rhythms, and precision of the artisans working inside.
Built in more than 500,000 local bricks laid brick by brick, the 6,200 m² leather goods site in Louviers turns craftsmanship into both subject and structure. 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.
More than 500,000 “artisanal” bricks made from Normandie’s wet , clay rich earth, just 70 km from the site, root the building in its immediate landscape and brick making tradition…
