Paris! The City of Architectural History! Honestly a Living Museum of Architecture! I want to share a few architectural highlights, after a wonderful trip to Paris for Maison et Objet. One is brought back immediately into the “Magic” of this spectacular city.
We had unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower and many Hausmann buildings from Le Meurice. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Thank you to Louis XIV for his distinctive dreams. Famously known as the Sun King, he transformed his father’s hunting lodge into the Palace of Versailles as we know it today complete with the Hall of Mirrors. And thank you to Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891) for his insistence on a limit to the heights of buildings and creating a template for architectural uniformity along the grand boulevards.
The beacon and illumination of the Eiffel Tower at night. The tower is illuminated from the inside of its structure using 20,000 light bulbs. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
The Eiffel Tower! How magical!! And to think it was intended to only be temporary when built as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair! I hear the new Jules Verne restaurant, on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower is superb with stunning vistas. With a gleaming interior update and a new, high profile chief, Frédéric Anton, be sure to book in advance!
Restaurant Le Dalí at Le Meurice. This restaurant was inspired by artist Salvador Dalí who loyally frequented Le Meurice.
Staying at Le Meurice was an enormous treat! A specimen of architecture itself, it opened in 1835 and soon became known as the Hotel of Kings owing to its many royal guests. Philippe Starck’s inspired updates in 2007 still feel fresh and have invigorated this historic building.
Richard Orlinski (French, b. 1966), Standing Bear, 71 7/8” H X 38 3/16” W X 43 5/16” D completed in black resin and installed at Bar 228. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
With the drama of Richard Orlinski’s Standing Bear in adjacent Bar 228, one has a hard time not stopping in, even if just for the people watching!
We were seated directly beneath Gehry’s Fish Lamp (2014) while dining at Le Frank. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
The Foundation Louis Vuitton by Frank Gehry has brought me back as a BIG fan of his career, 40 years and counting! The entire museum is full of beautiful rays of light! The gallery spaces are perfectly sized to create an intimate flow with any exhibition. And, who doesn’t enjoy the story of the fish in Gehry’s mother’s bathtub!
A view of the bedroom from the Maison de la Tunisia which has been recreated for Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World which closes February 24, 2020. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
At the Foundation Louis Vuitton, we toured the exhibit Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World. This exhibition comes 20 years after Perriand’s death and marks the first solo exhibition of any artist in this Frank Gehry-designed gallery.
An exhibition view of Perriand by the sea. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
And, what an incredible exhibit. Charlotte Perriand was indeed a remarkable and talented designer. For a moment one can actually question whom was the more talented? Charlotte Perriand, Fernand Léger, Le Corbusier, or Alexander Calder. Charlotte certainly stood out as a strong contributor to the design aesthetic of the day with a remarkable body of work.
If you kept up with us on Instagram, you’ll know how fantastic this trip was! We are inspired and look forward to sharing more with you soon!