I love the soul of cities, even if people say they all tend to look the same
"There's no doubt that travelling influences my work; each country and each city has its own specific character. For theIndia for example, is theexoticthe colourFor the Japanis undeniably the gastronomy. As for America, I'd say it's certainly the music. But, in the end, what counts for me is the surprise, the new sensations; another city, a country I don't know yet...
I love to travel, even though I don't usually spend much time there - too little time, unfortunately. But I still find a way to spare a few moments for myself, to steal a few hours that will belong to me alonewhich, as well as eating something local, I generally devote to culture. I love museums, such as the one atanthropology of the city of Mexico. And then there are the people, these meetings with manufacturers, craftsmen, engineers... All this human richness that allows me to go to the source of things, especially in terms of raw materials, since we produce all over the world.
In any case, I'm more of an urban person. I feel at home in the countryside or at the beach, but not for much more than a day... In fact, I love the soul of cities, even if people say that they all tend to look the same, that they contain increasingly global elements. it's the character of the residents that countsIt's always very different from one city to another, with different references and different starting points. When you're in ParisYou can tell from the people alone that you're in Paris. The same goes for London, or anywhere else. And that certainly influences my creations.
For example, just recently, when we did the hotel Pullman in the Bercy district of Paris, I took into account the history of the brand, which connotes journeys on great trains. So I had in mind railway crossings, industrial things... and so I used metal in my decoration. The same goes for oak and cork... Why these last two materials? Because Bercy was once the district of the wine merchants. So I had a wide range of raw materials and historical references that strongly influenced my imagination. And it's the same all over the world. I obviously have my own conception of aesthetics, but I always take the spirit of the place into account.and, of course, my clients' own visual concepts.
A hotel, especially a grand hotel, has to be able to cater for a variety of audiences. It is as much about solo travellers, business people and their professional meetings as it is about families or couples and their glamorous get-togethers. It's a place of passage, an obvious place that must respond to different wishes. It's a setting, of course, but it's also the way in which all these travellers are received, the attention they receive.
And then there's the journey itself. Not the aeroplane, which is a fantastic means of transport, but which is ruined by everything around itthe airports in particular. Security checks, passports, queues that last for hours... So I love trains, I dream ofHyperloopAnd it's coming very soon. And it's coming very soon.
Latest Paris creation: Hôtel Pullman Paris Centre-Bercy - 1, rue de Libourne. 75 012 Paris. Tel: 01 44 67 34 00
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