French designer Philippe Starck has revealed Maison Heler, a striking hotel in Metz, France, characterised by a surreal architectural concept. The hotel's most distinctive feature is a 19th-century Lorrain-style house placed atop a modern nine-story monolithic structure, creating the illusion of a traditional residence floating above the city.
Maison Heler, located in the Amphithéâtre district near the Centre Pompidou-Metz, merges contemporary design with elements of architectural surrealism. The lower part of the hotel is a minimalist building crafted from steel and glass, while the upper section features the traditional house. This contrast between stability and movement reflects Starck's poetic imagination and the whimsical spirit of his fictional protagonist, Manfred Heler, whose 'uprooted' home serves as the conceptual basis for the design.
The hotel offers 104 rooms and suites, two restaurants, two bars, and event spaces. The interior design blends modern simplicity with surreal storytelling, incorporating whimsical objects inspired by Jacques Carelman's "Catalogue d'Objets Introuvables" (1969). Guests encounter unexpected artefacts, such as inverted rocking chairs and plaster anvils, echoing Starck's commitment to blending the ordinary with the fantastical.
The hotel's culinary offerings include "La Cuisine de Rose," an all-day brasserie styled as a romantic sanctuary, and "La Maison de Manfred," a dining room designed to evoke a cherished memory with warm lighting, leather furnishings, and stained-glass windows by Ara Starck. Each element reflects the narrative of Manfred Heler, reinforcing the theme of storytelling through design.
Maison Heler embodies a unique fusion of heritage and modernity, creating a gravity-defying visual landmark that blurs the line between reality and imagination.
Source: www.designboom.com