Checking Into the Parisian Hotel Inspired by the Disco Decades
A ’70s and ’80s feel defines the Hôtel Château d'Eau.
Hotelier Adrien Gloaguen has a knack for drawing travellers to a new part of Paris. After already opening six hotels in the city, often located in quartiers where tourists only lightly tread, Gloaguen is now encouraging guests to explore his own 10th arrondissement neighbourhood at boutique address Hôtel Château d’Eau.
Also known for giving young designers their first break into hotels, Gloaguen handed the keys to Alexis Lamesta and Charlotte Albert of Necchi Architecture to transform a previously forgettable hotel just off Paris’s Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis into a destination address.
On the façade, the retro typography of the signage signals the hotel’s new identity and nods to the decades-old shop signs that can still be found around the area. In the window, two vintage Italian ceramic panthers welcome guests and set the tone for Château d’Eau’s bold style, inspired by the glamorous disco decades of the ’70s and ’80s.
Icons such as Serge Gainsbourg and Yves Saint Laurent served as Necchi’s muses, with the glossy monochrome interiors of the 36 rooms taking design cues from Gainsbourg’s famously all-black apartment at 5 bis Rue de Verneuil on the Left Bank. The design duo also cite French furniture designer and architect René Herbst as the inspiration behind the room’s functionality, such as the black bed tray in lieu of a desk to maximize space, but the sexy high-shine finishes and touches of animal print prove that practicality hasn’t quite won out over style. One of the few pops of colour comes from the fully carpeted floors, which even cover the bed bases and side tables in shades such as mustard yellow, forest green, and the most striking, a bright royal purple.
The strong palette is balanced with minimal accessories such as retro dial telephones, clear acrylic lamps, and an op art-style geometric print by Paris-based artist Géraldine Roussel behind each bed. Whether intentionally or not, bathrooms come with Twin Peaks vibes thanks to the giant checkerboard tiling, which has been accessorized with Necchi’s bespoke sink basin in polished stainless steel.
Other Necchi designs can be found downstairs in the hotel’s open lounge, notably the mocha-coloured sofa in the salon and the acrylic tables and stainless steel seating in the adjoining breakfast area. The rest is a mix of vintage finds from Paris’s famed Saint Ouen flea market such as leopard print armchairs and mirrored coffee tables that bring to mind the glitter balls of Studio 54, another design inspiration on Necchi’s mood board. Tucked away at the back is an intimate fumoir, dressed with high-shine chestnut walls and a deep-green corduroy sofa to continue the retro ’70s feel.
Photography by Ludovic Balay.
