Musée Yves Saint Laurent opens in Marrakech

A museum devoted to the work of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent has opened in Marrakech, which Laurent first visited in 1966 and remained enthralled with and inspired by until his death in 2008.

Designed by Paris-based Studio KO, the 43,000-square-foot building features Moroccan influences, with terrazzo and intricate brickwork making up the facade. The low-profile museum is characterized by both curving and straight-edge volumes, which bely the colorful archives of fashions and sketches on display inside.

In addition to permanent and temporary exhibition space, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech encompasses a 130-seat auditorium, a boutique, bookshop, a cafe-restaurant, and a research library comprising 5,000 volumes.

The museum is situated on Rue Yves Saint Laurent and stands adjacent to the Jardin Majorelle, which Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé purchased in the 1980s. Its opening coincides with the inauguration of the new Yves Saint Laurent museum in Paris, which is located in the former fashion house and current headquarters of the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent.