The Yves Saint Laurent museum opened in Marrakech, a city that had a strong influence on him through-out his career. His former business partner and life partner, Pierre Bergé, oversaw the museum inception and construction until his passing a month before the museums opening on October 19, 2017.

It was designed by Studio KO (founded by Olivier Marty & Karl Fournier) and according to The Guardian the architects design intent was for “the exterior to evoke the ‘weft and warp of fabric’ while the interior is designed to evoke the lining of a couture jacket, ‘velvety, smooth and radiant.'”

There is a research library with over 6,000 books, a bookshop, 150-seat auditorium (named after Pierre Bergé) and a cafe named Le Studio after YSL’s Paris office. Displayed is a collection of clothing from over the decades and thousands of drawings/photos depicting the fashion houses history. This museum also has a rather large storage space for over 4,000 items.

Studio KO did an amazing job of keeping true to morocco’s design environment while taking careful attention to minute details as YSL did with all his designs. It is a true modern beauty!!

YSL in Marrakech

Studio KO’s model by Atelier Misto (made of marble, brass and copper)

Floor Plan