Opening February 2012, W Paris – Opera has unveiled its design, a collaboration between W Global Brand Design and Rockwell Group Europe. The concept marries the historic façade of the building, Paris’s reputation as the “City of Light,” and the brand’s energetic DNA-all of which create a fusion of New York’s dynamism and Paris’s sophistication and culture.
The hotel design revolves around an oversized backlit digital undulating wall that defines the central core of the building and weaves through the public and private spaces. The “spark” will appear as a dotted pattern that forms abstract clouds, with the wall set at various tempos to create different moods. Cloaked in red, elevators, the DJ booth, and staircases continue the energetic vibe.
Historic features of the 19th-century building, such as ornamented columns, vaulted ceilings, marble staircases, and fireplaces, have been partially restored. The original stained-glass windows and mosaic flooring on the second floor will be protected to reflect the building’s heritage. The hotel’s 91 guestrooms and suites boast soaring ceilings, a backlit bridge that wraps the entrance corridor with white patterned lights, a sculptural faucet, molding that breaks into different pieces, and cutting-edge works by local artists. Meanwhile, the two Extreme WOW suites feature a shower concealed behind two large classical Parisian doors and an oversized circular bed set in the middle of the suite.
GCA Architects advised Meridia Capital, the hotel’s owner, on the project.
