https://sunnyandrainy.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/haute-lodging-by-maison-martin-margiela/
Should you happen to be in Paris, stop by Rue Goujon 8 and see the newly re-designed hotel La Maison Champs Elysées. Courtesy of Maison Martin Margiela — 17 dreamy suites, lobby, restaurant, bar and cigar lounge. Built in 1866 during the reign of Napoleon III, the hotel now boasts some modern finishes.
http://stylecartel.com/maison-martin-margiela-makeover-hotel-la-maison-champs-elysees/
Maison Martin Margiela Makeover Hotel ‘la Maison Champs-Elysées’
Maison Martin Margiela presents the hotel ‘la Maison Champs-Elysées’, located right in the heart of Paris.
Maison Martin Margiela renovates another Maison – At first glance the rooms are very MMM. Clean crisp and minimalist white. It kind of reminds of heaven at a glance.
The brand Maison Martin Margiela has been entrusted with its first hotel collaboration and is therefore rethinking the interior design of hotel ‘la Maison Champs-Elysées’, which is located within the historical building of the Maison des Centraliens*. Situated at the junction of Avenue Montaigne, the Grand Palais and Place de la Concorde, the hotel is slated to relaunch with the designs from Maison Martin Margiela in July 2011.
Maison Martin Margiela has begun a new page in its history with projects involving interior architecture and design. The first projects date from 2009 beginning with the ‘Elle Décoration’ Suite at the Palais de Chaillot followed by the ‘Ile aux Oiseaux’ suite in the spa hotel ‘Les Sources de Caudalie’ in Bordeaux.
Bernadette Chevalier, la Maison Champs-Elysées representative explained, "With the help of Maison Martin Margiela, we wanted to offer clients in search of different experiences, new concepts of living space by redefining the rules and offering a luxurious but relaxed atmosphere, where minimalism of forms is served by incredible attention to detail. Moreover, this hotel is located in the centre of a district which brings the most prestigious French couture houses together."
La Maison Champs-Elysées consists of two buildings, one dating from the Second Empire under Napoleon III, the other built more recently. Maison Martin Margiela, appointed after winning the competition to design the historical part of the building, has re-thought this space to create hotel suites, a restaurant, a smoking room, a bar and a reception area. In designing this project Maison Martin Margiela aimed for continuity in relation to its own artistic history by offering a place where contrasts harmonize that are further tinged with surrealism. The Maison worked jointly with other artists (landscape painters and lighting engineers) to carry out this project.
The Reception Hall
The floor is made up of Mareuil limestone flagstones with black slate insets randomly scattered as if by the wind. The reception area in the shape of a mirrored prism is in the centre of this hall. This huge diamond gives an impression of infinite space.
There are many wall lamps in brushed stainless steel on the white walls, which light up the outlines of missing paintings.
Materials: Pierre de Mareuil (limestone flagstones), marble, mirrors, brushed stainless steel.
The Essling Bar
The floor and ceiling match each other by using a divided- up effect in black and white trompe-l’oeil. A wool carpet on the floor is printed with a classical-style French ceiling design while the ceiling is decorated with wallpaper printed with the same design.
Traditional French panelling, coloured off-white, covers the walls, which themselves show traces of a past which never existed and where only the outlines of paintings and lighting remain.
The ‘Groupe’ Margiela sofas, covered in white linen and cotton, face each other and are linked by low tables whose size is amplified by mirrors
Materials: wool, paper, wood, brushed stainless steel, mirrors, cotton, linen.
Restaurant – 80 covers
The restaurant plays on the contrasts of materials and sensations:
Flooring in waxed concrete and walls in formed concrete contrast with light, delicate furniture.
Square tables and arm chairs in white cotton loose covers placed on a dull metal pedestal create an illusion of floating, bringing a note of surrealism to the place. The seating is entirely classical mixing Louis XV ‘Bergères’, Louis XVI Salon chairs, Louis XV Lyre Back chairs and Louis XVI Medallion Back chairs.
The background shows classical French wooden doors, but supersized. The mouldings, locks and casement bolts also emphasise the supersize theme. Three canvases stretched on the ceiling continue the theme of three classical distressed ceilings. Alcoves made mainly of silver birch printed with endless black and white classical cubes scattered on the walls.
The restaurant offers a view of a green living wall through a glass screen and access the garden.
Materials: waxed concrete, Ductal® concrete, cotton, wood, silver birch.
Landings and Corridors
The landings and corridors are entirely black: black paint on the walls and thick black carpeting on the floor. These dark spaces are lit up by projections of light which imitate sunlight filtering through non-existent doors or windows.
Materials: wool
Suites with unfinished mouldings
These three suites with wood mouldings endlessly interrupted, like an unfinished work, or work in progress, offer a monochrome painting in white from very pale grey to light beige.
The salon and bedroom are separated by a huge central space with sliding partitions to provide a complete or partial separation of the space. The ceiling is optical white and the fitted wool carpet is in very light beige. The bathrooms are entirely made of vitreous enamel mosaic tiles. A mirror lit by a set of bulbs, like an artist’s dressing room, has been placed above a huge double basin in white stoneware. A large bath and an Italian-style walk-in shower complete the room.
Materials: wood, wool, vitreous enamel, mirrors.
Maison Martin Margiela
Hôtel la Maison Champs- Elysées, Seventeen suites and bedrooms**, restaurant, bar, smoking room and reception.
8 rue Jean Goujon- 8th district Paris
Inauguration planned for July 2011 just in time for Haute Couture
The hotel will definitely be the hotel of choice during Paris fashion week. I wonder who will stay there first? Better off booking now.
photos courtesy: Martine Houghton
www.maisonmartinmargiela.com
