At Fouquet’s Paris, Friedmann & Versace reinvent the art of hospitality

At the corner of the Champs-Élysées and avenue George-V, the Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s Paris unveils a new interpretation of the French art of living with the transformation of its Galerie, designed by the duo Friedmann & Versace. Conceived as an extension of the lobby and a new living space open onto the Golden Triangle, this hybrid space combines the spirit of the Parisian salon, the winter garden and the private mansion in a setting that blends heritage and contemporaneity. From the entrance, the project asserts its decorative ambition with a large revolving door and a floor in marble and onyx marquetry that set a hushed and theatrical atmosphere. The interior architects have composed a world nourished by Art Deco references and evocations of the great Parisian interiors, without giving in to reconstruction. Different eras are layered here: poppy motifs inspired by the decorator Madeleine Castaing sit alongside more modernist lines, while precious materials – sycamore, burr maple, sapele, patinated bronze or alabaster – build a dense but controlled decor. The Galerie is organised as a succession of intimate lounges whose uses change over the course of the day. Morning coffee, lunch, tea time or a more informal dinner find their place in an environment designed to extend the stay as much as to welcome passing visitors. This flexibility of use is reflected in the very layout of the spaces, which favours fluid circulation and gentle transitions.

A central place has been given to the artistic crafts. Engravings, gilding on glass, bas-reliefs, inlaid wood panels or decorative plasters compose a visual narrative inspired by the Paris of the 1920s and 1930s, that of the cabarets, the artists and the cosmopolitan nights of Brassaï, of Josephine Baker… Several specialist workshops took part in this project, among them Atelier Gohard, Blundell & Therrien and La Compagnie du verre, mobilised around numerous handmade pieces. The lighting atmosphere also plays an essential role in the experience of the place. The bespoke light fittings in bronze, textured glass and alabaster diffuse a subdued light that accompanies the generous volumes of the furniture designed by the Henryot manufacture. Enveloping armchairs, mohair velvet, floral jacquards and gilded details create this sensation of hushed opulence, characteristic of the project.

Through this transformation, Friedmann & Versace reinterpret the French decorative language without nostalgia, building a place where hospitality, craftsmanship and the staging of materials are part of one and the same experience. More than a simple transitional space, the Galerie becomes the living heart of Fouquet’s Paris, an interior designed as an invitation to observe and fully inhabit Parisian time.