Christophe Poyet and Emil Humbert’s eye for luxury has only grown more refined since they first teamed up in 2007. A decade later, their eponymous design practice boasts an elevated portfolio of retail, restaurants, and residences that demonstrate their fondness for industrial settings because of the handsome contrast it offers their detailed, luxe creations. Hot off the successful launch of their first hotel project—the Hoxton, Paris, which debuted in August—the designers have set their sights on expanding their reach across Europe and beyond.
Beefbar, Mexico City
They have translated the Beefbar brand for diners in Monaco, Hong Kong, and Mexico City (Paris and Dubai are on the boards) with the 8,600-square-foot Mexico outpost, a point of pride for Humbert, who says the expansive site allowed for a more amplified expression of the restaurant’s masculine flair. “The first one was like a laboratory, and this one was like the explosion of it,” he says. “We could exacerbate all design aspects.” Simple, raw materials like black wood and bronze paneling span the interior, along with more unique elements such as custom alabaster lighting, leather walls, and a granite bar.
The masculine-informed Beefbar in Mexico City
Song Qi, Monaco
The high-end Chinese concept Song Qi, a creation by Michelin-starred chef Alan Yau, boasts a design that recalls a bygone era a world away. “We were inspired by 1920s and ’30s Shanghai,” Humbert explains. “We wanted something special like a jewelry box.” The ornate, midcentury design embraces an Art Deco ambiance complete with gilded cages, velvet banquettes, and an abundance of black and white marble.
Song Qi
Club H, Budapest and Club D, Hong Kong
Nightclub concepts in Budapest and Hong Kong—Club H and Club D, respectively—reflect an eye for futurism. They both have color palettes that shine even in the dark thanks to lighting installations within joinery and ceiling voids. “When you design a good nightclub, you have to think [how the] décor has to vibrate with the music. It has to be integrated in the design,” Humbert says. “You have to feel the vibe of the music through the skin of the décor.”
Club H
