Focus on Maison Baccarat
The concept
Challenge: creating a desired place
To make Maison Baccarat an essential destination on the Parisian scene, where the offered services (restaurants and bars) become sought-after addresses, vibrant places that stand out through a distinctive and assertive identity. To integrate within a historic and heritage-filled setting conducive to a true experience of the unexpected, offering a genuine journey. A place with multiple uses, where this address becomes a destination rather than a passage, a multi-service space with a high quality of life.
Objective
Maison Baccarat must therefore embody the ambitions and craftsmanship of both the crystal manufacturer and chef Alain Ducasse, while respecting the spirit of the building, a historic landmark in which it will take place. We must create a space that unites heritage and immersive experience. Particular attention will be given to the importance of materiality in crafting an architectural experience where art, gastronomy and glassmaking merge in sensory symbiosis. The work will focus on light, giving the whole a mood in harmony with its setting. Our intention is to create spaces that are not fixed or closed, but rather lively, convivial, open and energising.
Juxtapose to energise
To respect the past by listening to and understanding the place while adding new layers through the introduction of a strong scenography is the founding principle that gave rise to our concept “Juxtapose to energise”.
Our approach? To create a common thread by crafting an alchemy between cuisine and art de vivre, generating new sensory flavours where each moment should be a beautiful surprise to be savoured slowly. Harmony must be inherent to the place; fireworks must be created both on the palate and within the space. A bridge between the art of cuisine and the art of crystal making. We will bring pure, classical lines into dialogue with opposing lines.
The architectural harmony created by these introduced elements, both in plan and elevation, will serve the spaces by making them more flexible while giving them an artistic, even cultural, dimension. It is about developing a new chapter in this art of living.
Our concept also rests on the idea of “connection”, linked to the architectural gesture, for our role is to create the relationship between yesterday, today and tomorrow. The connection that will form between the city and the building, the connections nurtured through the involvement of various artists, and finally, the synergy between the master glassmaker that is Maison Baccarat and the Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.
To make “this address” a singular and timeless place, a reference where meaningful moments unfold, enhancing the quality of life for all who inhabit it.
From this strong concept emerge three themes:
Natural light
For this establishment to assert itself, we propose an opening-up approach that will make it a true beacon within the building. To create two main axes, reopening all the windows to the exterior. The restaurant stands out in its surroundings along a “creative thread” that serves the function at the guest’s scale. The vocabulary thus created becomes a vector of dynamism.
Raw and refined
Significant work on materials will unfold throughout the journey, contributing to the amplification of the senses. Indeed, we will play with raw textures that echo the craftsmanship of the multi-starred chef, favouring natural and bio-sourced materials. Earth tones and natural materials — wood, leather, ceramic, cork, hemp — including the leather of the seating. Everything has been conceived to make this a sustainable project. Through this materiality, the spaces will resonate with the cuisine offered by Maison Ducasse. The whole will be elevated by the refinement of crystal.
Craftsmanship
The interplay of various forms of craftsmanship will guide our design and will be staged through the four elements essential to glassmaking: water, fire, earth and air. These elements are also fundamental to a chef’s craft. Biophilic design will guide our approach so that nature becomes an intrinsic part of this new experience, directly or indirectly, at every moment. This biophilic thread begins with the choice of natural materials, reflected in the colours, organic forms and elements that evoke nature. Tailor-made design is essential, as this place celebrates true craftsmanship.
The Gammon bar
Gammon bar design project: earthly attraction.
The bar is revealed in the enveloping softness of earth and sand. Just a veil of earth for a spectacular mise-en-scène. This earth element (recalling the chef’s product) transitions into sandy tones (evoking the essential element in crystal making). This vast stone-powder cladding will be enhanced by crystal elements like nuggets sourced from Baccarat’s own production. The bar itself is crafted from raw earth and topped with a recycled glass counter.
The orangery
Orangery design project: citrus acidity.
This third place is an extension of the garden, a cocoon-like space where vegetation fully enters. It sits between a winter garden and a small outdoor boudoir. The atmosphere is enhanced by warm tones of orange, red and yellow, evoking citrus fruits.
The Carat bar
Carat bar design project: ode to history.
Welcome to the Carat bar, a place where, from the moment you enter, the décor designed by Jean-Michel Frank takes centre stage. From parchment wall panels to the furniture itself. We enhance the acoustics and warmth of the bar through the introduction of fabric drapery. Finally, red leather piping will subtly recall the Baccarat colour, also echoed in the curtains.
The Alain Ducasse restaurant
Restaurant design project: the forest.
We introduced the notion of naturalness along the first-floor gallery to incorporate the seating pieces by Jean-Guillaume Mathiaut. The room is illuminated by a crystal rainfall composed of oversized drops in varying sizes. Acoustic treatment is applied to the walls using baffles.
