Paris’s New Design Skin

For centuries, Paris has been reinventing itself as a centre of contemporary art. It is a cultural benchmark across the globe, from every possible angle: music, dance, literature, antiques and every conceivable creative field. 

In the world of design, I have been researching and experiencing the evolution from the 20th to the 21st century. While Milan’s central role is undisputed and Brussels, London and Copenhagen have clearly established themselves as design cities, the French capital is firmly staking its claim. This is reflected in the emergence of so-called ‘Collectible Design’ at the Art Paris fair in the Grand Palais, the success of London’s PAD in the Jardin des Tuileries, and the recent rise of Matter and Shape.  

Above all, however, this shift has been signalled in recent years by Paris Design Week, which has always been organized under the auspices of Maison & Objet, a fair with a 30-year history. 

 

 

“At Maison & Objet, we conceived and launched Paris Design Week as a natural extension of the fair. It is a dialogue between design, craftsmanship and architecture on the one hand, and heritage and the city on the other,”

 

emphasizes Paula Baulde, Head of Marketing at Maison & Objet – Paris Design Week.  

 

In recent editions of PDW, I have witnessed the emergence of a new modernism cantered on natural forms and their connection to the senses. A movement that seeks to awaken the senses in a new era of human intimacy.  

This Parisian metamorphosis is no accident; it responds to a global need to reconnect with the tangible. Paris is thus positioning itself as the epicentre of conscious and sustainable luxury, where creators blend historical craftsmanship with an avant-garde, innovative vision. 

  MY JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF PARIS THROUGH DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE  

I explore three historic sites that I was able to see in a new light through the lens of contemporary design. Architecture, design and heritage intertwine here and are revitalized by these installations, which invite us to interact with the spaces and imbue them with new symbolism.

 

Arc de Triomphe

Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau, curator of design and architecture, has created an immersive experience at the Arc de Triomphe, spanning both the interior and the terrace of this renowned monument and national emblem. The Centre des Monuments Nationaux drew on the curator’s distinctive vision for the installation and exhibition ‘La Tempête’: an interactive creative storm that serves as a contemporary reinterpretation of the building, transforming its historic spaces into an introspective universe. The experience weaves together abstract sculptures, installations, soundscapes and scents – a material dialogue between glass, ceramics and textiles, with each piece created in collaboration with exceptional artisans and designers. 

The Bastille

‘La Re-prise de la Bastille’ is the title of the installation created by architects and designers Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc of Studio 5.5. This monumental installation surrounds the column with 196 flags made from secondhand clothing. It carries a message of commitment to sustainability through recycling and a plea for multiculturalism and social harmony. Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc have extensive experience in rethinking contemporary design; they champion a manifesto cantered on collective design processes and messages of social progress.  

Victor Hugo House Museum

I had the opportunity to talk with interior designer and ceramicist Lucas Huillet and perfume historian and artistic director Alexandre Helwani, who presented Anankè, an immersive olfactory installation in the inner courtyard of the Maison de Victor Hugo on the Place des Vosges. 

A monumental menhir was the focal point of the installation. The designers transformed it into a majestic censer, from which rose smoke scented with a fragrance modelled on Neolithic incense. “Inspired by the famous work NotreDame de Paris, the project explores the link between architecture, writing and memory through sculptural pieces and fragrances created in collaboration with perfumer Nathalie Lorson,” explains Huillet. 

 

 

NEW CREATIVE HORIZONS

 

I continue my intense walk through new design in Paris, tracing a map of new creative visions and paths. Beyond the historic venues opened especially for PDW, and among the hundreds of exhibitions and displays in galleries, museums, foundations and showrooms, particular mention must go to the colossal floral installation – comprising beds and other pieces of furniture – situated at the Grand Palais and created by Uchronia studio. At the Hôtel de Rohan, Pierre Renart has installed a sculptural wooden bench on the exterior façade. And at the Hôtel de Sully, furniture by Irish designer Joseph Walsh allows us to draw a common thread between the three: organic, fluid forms that connect directly to nature in a new modernism and creative humanism. 

My conclusion is clear: Paris is indeed opening up to experiencing lived space as an emotional refuge, consolidating its status not only as a showcase for future trends but also as the urban essence that defines a new creative humanism and broader horizons.