French Style, Metropolitan Modernity

By Editorial Staff - 14 April 2023
Jung, Vescom have participated in the project

The Montparnasse neighborhood, located on the Left Bank of the Seine, was a cultural hub of Parisian life over the course of the 20^th century, and began to transition in the 1970s into an administrative and economic hub of the city. Today, it remains one of the most vibrant neighborhoods of the city, with the famous Montparnasse Tower symbolizing this transition to a more modern and economic calling.

Against this backdrop, the renovation of the Pullman Paris Montparnasse hotel by Cut Architectures rethinks the concept of hospitality. Incorporating versatility and new functions, this modern environment can adapt to changing lifestyles and different professions while maintaining at the same time the style and the art de vivre typical of Paris.

“Our approach was first and foremost metropolitan”, state Benjamin Clarens and Yaan Martin, founders of Cut Architectures. Their project proposes an experience of space in circularity, continuously alternating between connected areas and environments, in contrast to the verticality and fragmentation of the Montparnasse quarter.

The entire project encourages free exploration of the spaces, starting in the bi-level lobby, whose inviting glass entrance and two escalators illuminated by LED lights lead visitors to the second level, which hosts the check-in area and the two restaurants of the hotel: Umami Burger and Fi’lia.

The only location of the famous California chain in France, Umami Burger is furnished in warm yellow and orange tones, with touches of green, and features exquisite Venetian-style terrazzo, which covers the tables and counters. Fi’lia offers a refined Italian menu with typical products set against an art-deco backdrop, with comfortable upholstered seating and metallic accents.

The 32 floors of the building house a total of 957 rooms of various types: classic, deluxe, family, suites and small apartments. The rooms have been designed as open spaces, in which mirrored walls and sliding curtains create continuity between the sleeping and service areas. All the furnishings are custom-designed and materials such as stainless steel, granite, walnut and imitation leather upholstery, along with backlit furnishings, give the space an urban, sophisticated and contemporary feel.

To accommodate a large variety of events, the hotel has a ballroom with a 7-m-high ceiling that the architects define “a cathedral”. The space can host up to 735 guests and is dividable into four additional rooms. With acoustic panels and a majestic chandelier that can be fully retracted into the ceiling, the ballroom is suitable for both public and private events. Another space at the hotel available for professionals is the Green Floor, a meeting and conference space that gives onto an exclusive 800-sq.-m elevated garden.

Completing the variety of exclusive services offered by the hotel, the skybar on the top floor is the highest bar in all of Paris, offering a 180-degree view overlooking the Eiffel Tower and all the wonders of Ville Lumière.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | In the Deluxe rooms, the wall between the sleeping area, the entrance and the bathroom has been substituted with a large mirrored revolving door that visually amplifies the space.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | Echoing the materials present in the other areas of the hotel, the rooms also feature oak, polished steel and Venetian terrazzo finishings, giving them the feel of an apartment rather than a hotel room.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | Jung’s LS 990 series, a timeless classic, was chosen to be the lighting controls for the rooms of the Pullman Paris Montparnasse hotel. Since its debut in 1968, this series has evolved with a fashionable look that now includes a wide range of finishings, ranging from the 63 colors of the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier collection to metallic finishes. Architects can enrich any type of structure with details that make a difference with this wide and versatile range.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The quality of an environment is also measured by its acoustics: in a restaurant, noise reduction and sound attenuation are essential to provide customers with a pleasant and relaxed meal. To this end, Umami Burger and Fi’lia restaurants have been equipped with Vescom’s sound-absorbing curtain system. The lightness of the fabric and the transparency of the weave of the Formoza and Fogo collections have allowed for a flexible physical separation that give intimacy to the environment without creat

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The Umami Burger restaurant is illuminated with Artemide’s collections: the Dioscuri ceiling series uniformly illuminates the room through the acid-etched blown glass bulb, while the nh pendant lamp enriches the space with luminous sculptural elements.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The hotel’s skybar holds the record for the tallest rooftop in Paris, coming in at 115 m high. It dominates the landscape and allows 360-degree view of the entire city.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The Green Suite, located on the Green Floor, is a spacious lounge with a private terrace, dedicated to meetings and gatherings.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The upper lobby serves multiple functions: as a connecting point between the hotel floors and the restaurant, it is also a place to gather, work or relax.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The check-in space is discretely located on the second floor of the lobby. Subtle and elegant furnishings define the desk area.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The second floor houses the Fi’lia restaurant: its intimate and sophisticated design recalls the art deco style, expressed in the warm tones of orange and the cooler ones of blue and green.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The Ballroom is a monumental space – with a ceiling almost 7 m high, it was designed to host all kinds of events, including weddings, fashion shows, concerts and conventions.

French Style, Metropolitan Modernity | © David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures | The two-level lobby is a glass volume visible from the outside thanks to the majestic chandelier that floods the space with light and the illuminated escalators that lead guests to the upper lobby.

Location: Paris, France
Client: Accor
Completion: 2022
Gross Floor Area: 38,000 m²
Interior Design: Cut Architectures
Lighting Consultant: 8’18’’

Photography: David Foessel, courtesy of Cut Architectures

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