Award-winning interior design studio Goddard Littlefair has lent their expertise to their first project in France, Le Parchamp, which opened recently in the Boulogne-Billancourt neighbourhood.
Drawing on Boulogne-Billancourt’s history as the epicentre of modernism and the birthplace of French cinema the studio has effortlessly blended visionary ideas with considered design details into the hotel’s ground floor and rooftop bars, reception area and guest rooms. The result is a contemporary celebration of Le Parchamp’s architectural heritage together with a playful nod to Monsieur Hulot, one of French cinema’s most iconic characters of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Monsieur Hulot’s character, representing two worlds colliding, caught between the unrelenting advancement of modern life and nostalgia for the recent past, became a design muse for Goddard Littlefair. The design narrative also related directly to the building’s evolution, having previously served as a bank and subsequently converted to a hotel, the building itself shared Monsieur Hulot’s observations on the advancement of progress. Elements of his character created discrete devices and hidden silhouettes, adding a layer of rich storytelling, intrigue for guests experiencing the mystery of a hotel with a hidden muse.
The repetition of a striped motif throughout the reception area and bar replicates the bold verticality of the building’s facade details as well as a nod to one of Mr Hulot’s iconic accessories, his striped socks. This detail also plays out on the bespoke banquette seating and the timber panelling that adorns the centralised bar area. The bar is a juxtaposition of period and modernist style, a nod to the building’s hidden past-life as a bank and a realisation of the dichotomy of the two eras that Mr Hulot sits between and silently observes. The bar retains the grandeur of the building’s classical past, within a refreshed, contemporary scheme, featuring antique brass, grand chandeliers and ribbed timber. The colour palette throughout the reception lobby and bar area is a toned-down take on the hues and graphics commonly used during the French film era for which Boulogne-Billancourt is famed. These earthy tones and warm character, supported by French elegance, makes for a sophisticated and timeless design.
The guest rooms have also been influenced by another of Monsieur Hulot’s iconic accessories, his umbrella. A handle-shaped motif features in repetitive fabric designs, in a bespoke carpet design which manifests in a half moon pattern and in bathroom detailing, such as a mirror hung in an arch-shaped casing. Goddard Littlefair has designed two types of guestroom, one adorned in terracotta and burnt orange hues that echo the building’s exterior and the other featuring a sage green palette that connects to the area’s verdant green spaces. Block colour ceilings were inspired by a similar technique made famous by Le Corbusier, the modernist architecture pioneer who had a home in the local area. Le Corbusier’s furniture and styling influenced the studio’s choice in bespoke furniture and lighting design, retaining subtle industrial influences with the use of bold black lines and metallic finishes.
The gem of Le Parchamp is the rooftop bar, where guests can take in the views of Boulogne’s cosmopolitan Square Léon Blum and in the distance, the Eiffel Tower. The bar features subtle references to the area’s filmmaking heritage with a mix of cinema style lounge seating and traditional, Parisian-style cafe chairs and tables. Surrounded by greenery – creating a warm and relaxed ambiance, striped parasols and table tops featuring a modernist-inspired graphic also reference Monsieur Hulot. The opportunity to dine outdoors is also available on the ground floor level where the hotel’s spacious courtyard is wrapped by the bar lounge and restaurant, providing a seamless connection between interior and outdoor areas, allowing guests and visitors from the neighbourhood to relax and escape in this Modernist meets contemporary Parisian oasis.
Goddard Littlefair transports guests as soon as they enter Le Parchamp, taking them on a journey through the modernism period and into the present day, an elegant merging of design styles that celebrate the historic and enchanting neighbourhood of Boulogne-Billancourt. The studio is well versed in residential, wellness and hospitality design projects and when it comes to hotel design the guests experience is of the utmost importance. Their human centric designs create compelling and emotive narratives that give guests greater context and connection to their surroundings.
