First Look: Hotel Château d’Eau, Paris
Parisian hotel group Touriste is opening the doors to Hotel Château d’Eau in April 2024 – the seventh addition to the group’s portfolio.
Set on Rue du Château d’Eau near Paris’ Gard du Nord, a seven-storey 36-room former hotel has been transformed by French design duo Necchi Architecture to encapsulate the spirit of the Château d’Eau area. Each Touriste hotel follows a partnership with a new interior designer, giving a unique feel to each property. For Hotel Château d’Eau, Necchi’s co-founders Alexis Lamesta and Charlotte Albert have aimed for a balance between elegance and functionalism, to create comfortable and compact, yet impactful bedrooms.
The designers were strongly influenced by the disco scene and artistic communities of Paris in the early 1980’s, with nods found throughout the property to iconic night clubs such as the neighbouring Le Palace, and New York’s Studio 54. The studio drew from other 80s cultural references too, such as American Psycho and the Fantômas trilogy by Louis de Funès, while musician Serge Gainsbourg’s Parisian home was also a source of inspiration.
Guestrooms pay homage to the work of furniture designer René Herbst, while bathrooms showcase striking chequered tiles and custom-designed basins in polished stainless steel, inspired by train cabins.
The hotel has been filled with hand-picked flea market and antique finds, such as a pair of vintage Italian ceramic panthers who welcome guests at the door, and also make an appearance on the hotel’s signage. Necchi also collaborated with Paris-based artist Géraldine Roussel on a series of geometric artworks, made from clear glass and inspired by Op Art.
“We were drawn to this quirky family of neighbourhood hotels and have been given free rein to transform this former hotel in our own vision,” says Lamesta. “We wanted to reflect an attitude, rather than a particular décor; one that is reflective of the Château d’Eau area’s recent history and character. Functionalism interests us enormously – sometimes even before aesthetics – and above all we want the space to feel comfortable.”
