Nowness Video, ​In Residence, Joseph Dirand

Nowness - Dirand.

​In Residence: Joseph Dirand
The French architect on his never-ending pursuit of learning

Irresistible still-lifes seem to arise inconspicuously in every corner of Joseph Dirand’s Paris apartment, revealing the Frenchman’s distinct version of minimalism: a nonchalant sophistication; a composed but slightly imperfect kind of cool. Known for his interiors that seamlessly fuse the sleek with the raw, the intricate with the simple (and often a healthy dose of marble), Dirand has become a fashion-world favorite, outfitting shops for Balmain, Balenciaga, Rick Owens and Givenchy.

“I always want to get inspired by different things and I realize there is no end to learning”
His home in the 7th arrondissement reveals a slightly softer side, a tactile feast for the senses mixing shapely, vintage pieces by Oscar Niemeyer and Ettore Sottsass with the more rigorous forms of Pierre Jeanneret, Jean Prouvé and Le Corbusier. “I always want to get inspired by different things and I realize there is no end to learning,” says Dirand. “In a couple of years I will be more cultivated and have more sources of inspiration, and accordingly my work will be even more complex.”

Son of the late Jacques Dirand, one of the most lauded interiors photographers of his generation, Joseph is expanding upon his family legacy, revealing a rarefied approach to space and material. From Beirut to Beijing his impressive retail and residential buildings create a sense of luxurious minimalism, as he steers spaces that could have gone the way of cold, stark, or intimidating, towards the alluring, intriguing, if not downright inviting.

“It is crazy to see an architect or artist doing exactly the same thing during his entire lifetime”
“It is crazy to see an architect or artist doing exactly the same thing during his entire lifetime,” says Dirand. “I am very curious about this, because I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I need to learn for myself, so I am doing that also for my own pleasure. It’s bringing life, it’s participating to the world.”