Ref: article by Cédric Saint André Perrin, AD, October 2021
A decorator of flagship venues in the 1960s and 70s, notably the famous drugstore on the Champs-Élysées, Slavik established himself as a pioneer in the design of restaurants with strong personalities.
Of his once-crowded venues, nothing remains: demolished, put into storage, redesigned. His name itself has fallen into oblivion. Yet, a prolific decorator with over 400 restaurants to his credit, Slavik (1920–2014) left a lasting mark on the commercial architecture of the late 20th century. This Parisian of Russian origin owes his fame to his very first project, the Drugstore des Champs-Elysées, inaugurated in 1958.
Long before the vogue of concept stores like Colette, this shop—open seven days a week until 2 AM, combining a restaurant, bookstore, pharmacy, record shop, fashion boutique, and gadget shop—shook up the genres. The 16th arrondissement “minets” decked out in Renoma, fans of Jacques Dutronc and milkshake lovers, ensured the success of this temple of consumption.
A social phenomenon, the brand spread from Saint-Germain-des-Prés to Avenue Matignon, by way of La Défense and Parly 2. Moreover, with its bas-reliefs and sculptures of bronze hands, mouths, and eyes plated onto English club-style woodwork, the decor of the Left Bank Drugstore alone synthesizes the Slavik signature.
