Paris Notes (Page 2)

Renzo Piano’s name sounds as harmonious and striking as his architectural works. The Italian architect is perhaps best known for his design of the Centre Georges Pompidou, the unmistakable cultural center in the heart of Paris, and thirty years after its construction, Piano uses similar techniques in the new New York Times Building, but to a different end... More»

After more than two years of reconstruction, a former funeral parlor in the 19th arrondissement of Paris reopened in its new incarnation as the city’s newest modern arts center christened “104” (Centquatre)...

Co-directed by Robert Cantarella and Frédéric Fisbach, the center, at 104 rue d’Aubervilliers was green-lighted by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë in 2005. More than two years and 100M euros later, Centquatre opened to the public in October. More»

Affordable design and even 'affordable luxury' is not an oxymoron. Well, not exactly, anyway... In fact, it's a trend that's been sweeping the hotel industry in recent years. Using modern construction methods in combination with innovative cost-cutting techniques and choosing slightly off-prime locations, a handful of hoteliers have attempted to reshape the industry by providing low-cost designer hotel experience for the younger, tech-savvy crowd.

“Mama Shelter” is the latest example of the trend. (De)signed by Philippe Starck, this modern hotel on Rue Bagnolet in the 20th arrondissement of Paris opened only a couple of weeks ago.... More»

Back in June, Parisian decorator Pascale Benhamou finished her project for Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris’s 8th arrondissement. The lobby restaurant, La Galerie des Gobelins (named after Manufacture des Gobelins - a former factory, now a museum, which supplied furniture to French monarchs) got new carpet, furniture and redesigned lighting.

But actually, what caught our attention was not so much the decorative changes of the space as the restaurant’s updated menu, which features desserts by world famous pastry chef Christophe Michalak, the winner of the 2005 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie... More»

On September 3rd, the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) opened a new terminal, 2G. The terminal will mostly serve flights within France (30%) and more broadly, within the Schengen zone (70%). Air France will be the principal carrier using it, along with three “partner” airlines (Régional, Brit Air, CityJet) which are all, in fact, subsidiaries of Air France.

With the addition of 2G, the airport aims to improve transfer options between regional flights, strengthening its role as a European “hub” of Air France... More»