Text: Rooksana Hossenally
Photo: Kleinefenn. Art Home
The Palais de Tokyo has teamed up with an unlikely partner to create Nomiya, a floating experience to be relished up close to the heavens amongst Paris’ unique skyline. Replacing the Everland hotel room, the previous project that sat on the Palais de Tokyo rooftop, the contemporary art museum has now turned to collaboration with Electrolux, the Swedish electrical appliances manufacturer, to give its visitors an exclusive slick and sophisticated restaurant concept.
Based on the tiny bars lining Japanese streets, hence its name, Nomiya is a small rectangular capsule with a table for twelve guests, designed to open the channels of communication between strangers. The floating restaurant melts into the Parisian skyline no matter the time of day: at lunchtime the capsule of glass and steel offers a bright, weightless atmosphere reflected in its white walls and clean minimalistic lines, adorned by great big bay windows letting Paris seep through the room. The views of the Quai Branly Museum and the Eiffel Tower are needless to say, breathtaking. The evenings are quite different: Nomiya is transformed as it is bathed in an almost fluorescent purple light. Its main feature becomes the Parisian nightscape dotted with tiny lights and of course, the Eiffel Tower shimmying in a sequin blazer as it watches over the French capital.
More on: Nomiya: A Floating Table on the Parisian Skyline
Text: Anna Bromwich
My dog-eared street map of Paris, printed in 1984, lists the U-shaped building opposite Gare de l’Est as a hospital, causing momentary confusion as I navigate my way from the station and across the street. Today Maison de l’Architecture, the hospital was just one moment in the life of the 17th century former convent. Built in 1603, before the industrial revolution bought train lines up to its doorstep, this was primarily a spiritual space populated by a minor Franciscan order - Les Recollets - and patronised by Henry IV and Marie de Medici. Years later after subsequent incarnations as a hospice for the terminally ill, barracks for the national Guard, a military hospital and a school of architecture, it was squatted in the 90s by a group of artists calling themselves the Angels of Recollets.
More on: Maison de l’Architecture
Text by Philippa Brangam image Coolhunter
Understated is certainly not a word you could ever use when talking about fashion designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac. This holiday season he is putting the pop into xmas with an installation at Publicis drugstore. From November 20th Publicis will be covered with jewel colored glass panels creating a stain glass window effect.
This Thursday, 26th November Publicis is hosting a special event to celebrate the installation Pop Your Xmas. With music from DJ Greg Boust, JC will be Present when the lights are switched on at 7pm and a book signing in-shop will follow. He has also designed a series of exclusive gifts available on the ground floor of the store. A great chance to meet the charismatic designer and get a head start on Christmas shopping.
More on: Pop Your Xmas - on the Champs with Castelbajac
Text by Eva KrysiakPershing Hall Hotel provides a striking blend of sensory titillation. Dramatic green, red and pink lighting cloaks the walls and the smell of fresh mint and limes wafts from the cocktails. A vertical, botanical wall provides the centerpiece of the downstairs lounge - at 30 metres high and spanning two floors, it provides a dramatic setting.
More on: Pershing Hall Hotel
Anna Bromwich writing for VINGT paris, photo courtesy of G@ttoGiallo
Maison des Métallos is perhaps best described as a cultural venue with a social conscience. It’s various spaces stage exhibitions, theatre and concerts with strong political themes and host creative workshops for young and old alike. The Maison also holds public debates, philosophy lectures and collaborative events with local associations. It also supports creative and research projects which establish links with the local community.
This Brechtian mixture of the cultural used for social purpose befits a building which started life during the industrial revolution as the first factory to manufacture brass musical instruments. In 1936 it became the headquarters of the steelworkers union, thus inaugurating its current name. Until 1997, when the Mairie de Paris bought it, Maison des Métallos ran syndicate meetings, trade workshops for the disabled and unemployed and a clinic in much the same community spirit as it's contemporary incarnation.
More on: Maison des Métallos
Anna Bromwich writing for VINGT Paris
Cité de la mode et du Design,image by Ollografik
Perched on Quai D’Austerlitz on the old industrial banks of the Seine is a 21st century Emerald City. The Cité de la Mode et du Design is a converted storehouse wrapped in a vibrant green, wavy skin that was designed to echo the murky Seine running beside it.
Cité de la Mode is due to open in early 2024 and the public should soon be able to visit the complex of boutiques, restaurants and exhibition spaces all pertaining to the theme of fashion and design. The building already plays host to the post-graduate fashion design and management school l’Institut de la Mode. However, it is the Cité's adventurous architecture which is the greatest testament to its proposed use. Twenty years ago this part of town was a run down industrial zone. Stretching from Gare d'Austerlitz to Boulevard Général Jean-Simon, a visit to this corner of the 13th arrondissement was easily bypassed unless you happened to be tugging a boatload of merchandise up the Seine.
More on: Cité de la Mode et du Design
Susie Hollands writing for VINGT Paris
The building on the corner of rue de Turenne and the rue Saint-Antoine was one of the last in the 4th arrondissiment to be classed as "insalubrious". It was sticking out like a sore thumb and in prime real estate territory (10,000 - 11,000euros per m²). So, the
Mairie de Paris took the opportunity to reinforce it's committment to preserving Paris'
mixité sociale (perhaps it's too late Bertrand).
Over two years the young architects with a small budget (2.1 million euros), Karine Chartier and Thomas Corbasson have pulled off a winner - 11 Logement sociaux (social housing apartments) ranging from studios to three bedrooms span the 5 storey, 900m² space. Each apartment benefits from a terrace and the new inhabitants were hanging out on the balcony looking pretty perky when I passed the other day.
More on: New architecture in the Marais
Recent Comments