Restaurants and bars call upon all of the senses, not just taste, to establish an emotional connection with customers. They rely on their architecture and decor to establish a visual identity that reflects ...
Upstairs, Downstairs: This hot new night spot splits its design personality between an opulently refined restaurant and bar above and a hard-rocking lower-level nightclub.
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By Mary Scoviak
Interior architect Prospect Design International (Cannes and Dubai) is known for mixing it up. “Our inspiration always comes from positioning high-end against low-end,” explains Fady Chams, managing director. For most projects, the application was micro: inexpensive upholstery on an expensive chair or custom lighting with low-cost decoratives. But when the designers needed a nightlife concept that could electrify trendsetters in the City of Light, they took their mix-and-clash approach to a macro level. What fuels the distinctive look of L'Arc in Paris is the aesthetic tension of a suave, fine-dining restaurant and bar paired with a club that flat-out rocks.
That kind of juxtaposition provided easy expression for Prospect's vision of a new life for the late 19th century building facing Paris' iconic l'Arc de Triomphe. Prospect designer Samy Chams imagined that a 1960s rock star moved from Los Angeles to Paris where he found L'Arc. “We saw him falling in love with the place and moving into the 8,600-sq.-ft. space with all his belongings,” says Samy Chams. On the upper level is his private lair, a sensuous but refined restaurant and bar (in reality, one that's under the direction of chef Antony Germani, an alumnus of Joël Robouchon's training); below is a club worthy of rock royalty.
Fortunately, the mythic tenant shared Prospect's eclectic tastes, as evidenced by his jukebox, Andy Warhol-style painting of Jimi Hendrix and tables friends could dance on in the nightclub. Obviously, he was also a connoisseur of design (or talented designers), given the inclusion of the slanted mirrored ceiling, alabaster and bronze bar and cowhide sofas for the lounge. His appreciation of fine things from many periods informed the dining room's contemporary metal-inlaid woodwork, lushly baroque velvet tapestries and '60s signed Verner Panton “earth lights.”
Like the rock aesthetic, playing vintage (even historic) pieces against ultra-contemporary elements produces a vibe Chams sees as timeless. “The pop art painting and decorative lighting suspension is a sharp contrast to the ceiling molding, cornices and baroque accents that reference the historical aspects of the building. We used details such as the trompe l'oeil effect that stretches the sight line of the ceiling to help bridge both time and style,” he says.
What it took to make this visual night music happen required both ingenuity and hard work. Sourcing one-of-a-kind items required a lot of legwork in antique furniture shops and art galleries. And getting the look of a ceiling whose designs seem to extend into infinity was, says Samy Chams, “very difficult. Installation was a real challenge. The workmen had to apply the paint very carefully to get the best flat finish possible for that feeling of a super-real image.”
Structural and regulatory restrictions created other obstacles. Although some interior modifications were permitted (as in pillars that could be removed), in other areas only the visual perception of the spaces could change—a problem solved with mirrored surfaces and a focus on verticality. Time pressure ran high: just five months to complete the project and no wiggle room since the owner had already set the opening date. “We worked day and night,” says the designer.
The something-for-every-mood design is as much a business decision as a design imperative, says Samy Chams. “Take the layout of the club. The days of nightclubs with huge dance floors in the middle are over,” he says. “People tend to prefer to party at their own tables with their own friends. But they still want to observe what's happening around them, so you can't close the space down with a lot of dividers.” Another plus that comes from filling the space with tables is that it never looks empty, notes Samy Chams.
Fady Chams sees this kind of tripartite identity becoming a trend. “In our home country, Lebanon, the ‘in' places tend to offer more than just dining or just drinks. It's always a mix of dining, drinks at the bar and dancing in the club,” he says. “We think Europeans are starting to see that it's important to offer food, drinks and music to maximize revenues, especially in tough times with high rents in gateway cities like Paris and London.”
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:
OWNERS
Gerard Louvin, Jean Philippe Cartier
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
STSE
DESIGN
Prospect Design International, Fady Chams, managing director; Samy Chams, designer
AUDIO/VISUAL
Colours Sonic
CEILINGS
Alyos
FURNITURE
Andrew Martin; LD Diffusion; Porada
LIGHTING
Verner Panton (suspension); Porta Romana (brackets)
TABLES
Pedrali
TABLETOP
Pedrali; Andrew Martins
SIGNAGE/GRAPHICS
Jonathan Bermudes
WALLCOVERINGS AND MATERIALS
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