Mama Shelter – Paris

Issue 22 – January / February 2009

Philippe Starck, in collaboration with Club Med founder Serge Trigano, architect Roland Castro and philosopher Cyril Aouizerate, has opened an ‘urban residence’ in a down-at-heel Parisian suburb.

A disaffected multi–storey parking garage on the bad side of town seems an unlikely place for Philippe Starck to open his newest hotel venture, but this long awaited project from Starck and his partners in luxe – the family of former Club Med boss Serge Trigano, architect Roland Castro, and urban philosopher Cyril Aouizerate – seems to have hit the nail on the head.

Opened just a couple months ago, they believe the Mama Shelter represents a new form of postmodern, urban residence, resort and cultural centre that the group plans to spread around the world, along with their new philosophy of what a hotel is and what experience people should get from it.

Located in the formerly unfashionable 20th arondissement, just steps away from the famous Pere Lachaise graveyard, counting such notable artistic souls as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf, the hotel has 172 cutting edge rooms, complete with luxury bed linens, a superhero themed design and perks such as password free wifi, large screen iMac entertainment centres, a microwave and minibars. They hope to attract a new crowd of nomadic travellers looking to step out of the traditional tourist bounds and to explore a neighborhood that still seems not to have gentrified too much.

Architect Roland Castro, of Atelier Castro Denissof Casi, has given the building an exterior which blends very discreetly into the surrouding quartier’s housing projects. Entering the reception area, the ceiling above is rife with arty graffiti phrases such as “Can we hire a room for the hour?” – a theme that continues throughout the lobby and bar. In front of the reception are hollowed out, gold painted wooden logs in the guise of stools, behind sit glass cabinets filled with assorted design objets, and topped by gold eagle statuettes.

Further on, there is a long communal dining table, embedded with horizontal video screens and nearby fridges offering snacks 24 hours a day.  The main restaurant, remote-controlled by legendary two-star Michelin chef Alain Senderens, offers a cheeky, revisited French menu with dishes such as scallops cooked a la plancha with courgette spaghetti, or shepherd’s pie made with preserved duck. A nice touch is the terrace, open weather permitting, running along the side of the hotel with a view of the now rarely used petite ceinture railway track.

Throughout the hallways of the hotel are mirrors on which staff write details of local cultural attractions, yoga classes and gigs at the nearby Fleche d’Or, a club located in a disused railway station known as one of the city’s best music venues.

The rooms, with raw concrete walls and lamps derived from superhero masks, all benefit from exactly the same amenities: excellent bedding, a small office space, and appliances to make the nomadic life easier: coffee machines, microwave ovens, and a widescreen iMac entertainment centre. Furniture includes Starck Ghost chairs and Eames reproductions.

The hotel also encourages visitors to go out and explore the city, offering a variety of eco-friendly vehicles for hire such as electric scooters or small urbanite cars such as the Smart or Fiat Uno.

Although Philippe Starck has more expensive projects going on in Paris (including the total rework of the Hotel Royal Monceau), this remains, for the moment, his most interesting and iconoclastic project, and, as he and his partners hope, the start of a successful international chain.

WORDS: Adrian Moore

PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Mama Shelter

MAMA SHELTER
109, rue de Bagnolet,
75020 Paris
Tel: +33 1 43 48 48 48
www.mamashelter.com


Rooms:    172 guestrooms
Food:    Communal dining area
Drink:    Island Bar, Chic Chic Bar