04 Sep 2017
The Hoxton takes over historic Paris townhouse with stylish boutique hotel
BY Kim Megson
Boutique hotel group The Hoxton has debuted its fourth property, with the new opening inside an 18th century Paris townhouse once home to Louis XV’s main courtiers.
The Hoxton, Paris – located on Rue du Sentier in the French capital’s 2nd arrondissement – occupies three buildings and has 172 bedrooms, two courtyards, a modern French brasserie, an intimate bar, seven meeting rooms and a communal pantry kitchen.
The building, originally designed by architect Nicolas d’Orbay for diplomat Etienne Rivié, has sat empty for more than a decade and was last used as a clothing factory.
A trio of design firms have spent the last four years carefully renovating the property, taking inspiration from the diversity and originality of the streets and scenes that surround it.
Parisian studio Humbert & Poyet have created the bedrooms, British firm Soho House have worked on the public spaces, while Ennismore Creative Studio have overseen the project,
Their interventions have had to be subtle as the building is a ‘monument historique’ – a title it shares with the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Le Louvre and Notre Dame.
To retain the character of the original, the building's façade – originally created Nicolas Pineau, a leader of the Parisian high rococo style – has been extensively restored to bring back its original grandeur, while two 300 year old spiralling staircases have been restored and amplified. Original iron columns have been repurposed, 18th century tiles have been reset to create a mosaic underneath the bar, and existing old roof timber beams have been exposed in some of the bedrooms.
“The public spaces celebrate the original features of the building,” said the design team in a statement. “The atmospheric restaurant, Rivié embraces the style of a French brasserie with a modern twist, key design features include timber panelling, marble-topped bars, distressed plastered walls and cosy banquette seating.
The historical grandeur is echoed in the bedrooms through cornicing, panelling and reclaimed oak chevron timber flooring, whilst contemporary feature walls and laminates bring the rooms up to date with this century — the juxtaposition of the two demonstrating the originality you’d expect to see in a Hoxton.
“With Lampe Gras lamps, woven metal partitions, classic 1950s materials such as Formica, and references to designers such as Jean Prouvé and Mathieu Matégo, the room decor pays homage to two very important periods in Parisian history: the late 19th century and the 1950s.”
The Hoxton, Paris is the brand’s largest property to date. The Hoxton, Holborn opened in 2014, followed by The Hoxton, Amsterdam in 2015. The Hoxton, Williamsburg will be opening later this year, with properties in Southwark, Chicago and LA following in the near future.
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