Shiseido

Paris is a global centre for the beauty industry, home to many of the world’s most recognised luxury brands. Within this competitive brand-driven sector, workplaces are evolving to support complex business operations and brand identity. With growing demand for flexible environments, consumer-facing companies are integrating dedicated spaces for specialised functions alongside more traditional work settings. For its first EMEA headquarters, Shiseido, a premier global Japanese beauty company, needed a workplace that would reflect its heritage and bring diverse teams together under one roof.

Gensler designed Shiseido’s first EMEA headquarters across four floors, combining workspace, collaboration areas, and specialist environments that support the brand’s core business. The design is informed by omotenashi — a Japanese approach to hospitality that is intuitive and quietly attentive. Dedicated spaces, including makeup studios, fragrance evaluation booths, treatment rooms, and training facilities, allow workers to test, refine, and invent. Natural light, greenery, and access to terraces inspired by Japanese gardens provide spaces to reflect and reset.

The new headquarters supports a more integrated and flexible way of working, enabling teams to collaborate across functions while maintaining spaces for focus and specialist activity. By bringing operational, training, and testing environments into a single location, Shiseido improves efficiency and reduces reliance on external facilities. The workplace also strengthens organisational cohesion, creating a unified environment that supports adaptability and long-term performance across its EMEA operations.