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‘I do everything so I’m not following a trend’ Philippe Starck unveils his latest creation
REATOR Philippe Starck yesterday unveiled a bold new hotel concept, Maison Heler, in partnership with Hilton, that will initially be introduced in Metz in France and then rolled out further as opportunities arise. The unique design includes an 18th century inspired traditional Alsatian home sitting atop the 14th floor of a more traditional style building and marks the first hotel entirely created and designed from the ground up by Starck. The €22.5m investment is the most ambitious urban planning development launched in the region for a century. The new 119 room hotel will operate under the Curio Collection by Hilton range of hotel brands, of which there are already more than 20 either trading or under construction in Europe. Starck said that the new design provided a much-needed alternative to two extremes of hotel offers — that caused boredom at one end and too much going on at the other. It resisted the trend of boutique hotels which, because of their fashion focus, quickly date, he said. “How can you invest so much in a concept that is like a miniskirt from Topshop?” he asked. “When we create a new brand we need to have a reason. We need to invest in a new concept and have a hotel based not on boredom or boom boom,” he said. Instead he said the new design offered extreme modernity mixed with history. “This is quality heritage. I do everything so I’m not following a trend. It’s high time that there is a brand that gets positioned over time,” he said. The house will include a rooftop terrace and garden with views over the city and will also be home to a restaurant and lounge bar while the guest rooms and suites in the lower building will include a fitness centre as well as private meeting rooms. The hotel will be located in the newly developed Quartier de l’Amphitheatre close to the Centre Pompidou-Metz. The team behind the project said a permit for the scheme had already been given and that work could start within a month — with a build time of around 18 months.
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MIPIM News 4 • 23 • 16 March 2018