COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 151.
“standing on the landing of the
monumental Mollien double staircase
built in stone and bronze, with a
labyrinth of the finest art galleries in the
world stretching ahead of you; the most
spectacular, never-ending view over the
Tuileries Gardens at your back, and the
haunting soul of the nearby Mona Lisa
floating through the air… what more
could you ask for?”
- Mathieu Lehanneur.
Located in the Denon Wing of the Louvre Museum, the Café
Mollien reopens its doors after a one-month closure for remodelling.
Managed by Elior Group and redesigned by Mathieu Lehanneur,
the Café is a new venue linking the Carrousel and the Tuileries
Gardens with the Louvre and its collection of masterpieces. In this
monumental setting of 150m², with its vertiginous ceilings and
marble tiled floor punctuated by massive columns, the designer
has succeeded in creating a prestigious cafe on a human scale.
After designing the Café ArtScience in Boston, which is currently
in the running for the “outstanding bar” award in the US1,
Mathieu Lehanneur went on to tackle the remodelling of the
Café Mollien in the Louvre, the most prestigious monument and
museum in Paris. Café Mollien comprises an L-shaped dining room
and a 230 terrace offering the best view of the Louvre Pyramid.
Inside, 66 seats are arranged around a magnificent brushed-brass,
acrylic lighting structure, with organic-like extensions stretching
up to 4.5 meters high. In the alcoves of the tall historic windows,
the presence of lacquered wooden benches upholstered in fabric
alongside mat-white furniture is almost "blasphemous in this
palace of colour", and seems to set and accentuate the rhythm of
the space. The white of the furniture is also echoed in the marble
of the 10-meter long bar at the entrance.
Throughout his various assignments, notably in the Church
of Melle (UNESCO World Heritage) and the Château Borely in
Marseille, and his next mission within the context of the complete
remodelling of the Grand Palais in Paris, Lehanneur has proven
his ability to re-examine and update the iconic monuments of
our heritage. Ranked among the "World 100 top designers and
influencers" by Wallpaper and Surface magazines, Mathieu
Lehanneur is described as the "champion of the intellectual agility
in the contemporary design field" by Paola Antonelli, Senior
Curator, Department of Architecture and design at MoMA, NY.
PROJECTS //
