DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

A MONUMENTAL DESIGN

Architect Aline Asmar d’Amman led the renovation and designed the impressive interior that brought the Michelin Star restaurant, Le Jules Verne, into a new era where culinary and decorative arts embrace within the iconic Eiffel Tower.

JENNIFER DURRANS

Aline Asmar d’Amman is a bold and exuberant name that holds a hefty amount of respect and recognition within the sphere of interior design. Hailing from Beirut, d’Amman, the founder of Culture in Architecture, has been at the helm of some incredibly stunning designs. She has gained numerous prizes for her work globally. Revolutionizing the concept of old meets new by transforming boutique hotels and residential properties seems to be her calling - contouring a punctilious vitality to each design: climatic elegance and monarchical atmospherics. In 2011, her career flourished when she lent her artistic eye to the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, a top-to-bottom renovation that became the pinnacle of chic. Aline was the artistic director of the renovation and she also designed the palace’s historical salons. She encompassed vicissitude with the precise conservation alongside Richard Martinet and the late renowned designer, Karl Lagerfeld, with whom she worked on his Grand Apartments décor.

The base of the oval tables are inspired by the curves and pleats of Jeanne Lanvin’s haute-couture skirt.

Fashion has become an origin of inspiration for d’Amman, which is abundantly conceived in every project. A smattering of femininity offers the ideal malleability. d’Amman and her team form a palpable union between raw elements and the resplendent rare pieces that effortlessly merge. Fashion and history become the core of d’Amman’s reverence for her flawless execution, which can be seen once again in her newest project in no other than Paris’ “Iron Lady.”

Jules Verne Restaurant, a Culmination of Explosive Composition

Envisage a mastery culinary experience at the heart of Parisian history. The Jules Verne, Michelin Star restaurant, situated on the second floor of the Iron Lady, has brought an aristocratic ambiance to fruition. “The Eiffel Tower is a quintessential monument,” says d’Amman. “It embodies the French spirit and is a symbol of femininity, boldness, lightness, and irreverence. The three pillars of my work have always been culture, architecture, and emotion. Jules Verne’s new decor will express these three fundamentals.”

A theatrical décor had been designed to accentuate one of the impressive founding pillars of the Eiffel Tower.

The bust of engineer Gustave Eiffel and writer Jules Verne welcome guests upon arrival.

Monochrome is rooted deep within every fissure, paying homage to the Eiffel tower and the gray skies of Paris. Each shape hugs every corner. Pearly white tones caress gray velvet benches offer the perfect respite while admiring subtle industrial style, as seen within the metal chairs. “I named the metal chairs Iron Lady, a reference to powerful women, designed on the curve of the Eiffel’s main arch,” explains d’Amman.

Gray onyx and mother-of-pearl compose the softest sentiment, with undertones of brushed French oak offering a robust and imposing beauty. Mirrors reflect irradiant lighting tones, which assert focus to sculpted ceilings. Encrusted stone tabletops laced with flexes of gold offer the ever-so-satisfying luxurious feel, a place where artistic conversations flow, and memories are crafted—all this while basking above the Parisian troposphere.

In alliance with the Iron Lady, d’Amman found inspiration in 1930’s jewelry designer, Suzanne Belperron, using feminine essences at the heart of her inspiration. The theatrical decor is emphasized by large pillars, reminiscent of the tower itself, with floor lighting that accentuates the route into the restaurant. Unique photos adorn the walls, allowing a semblance of French history to prevail, telling a nuanced story of this magnificent space’s past and future. The effervescence and confidence of d’Amman’s design offers an enhancement of prestige.

“I imagine the Jules Verne to become a manifesto of French chic; a state of mind, synonym of a certain classicism, combined with a slight irreverence,” says d’Amman. “The Tower is an embodiment of a balance between industrial aesthetics and high metal workmanship. The graphic and refined culinary aesthetic of chef Frederic Anton, who himself advocates the femininity of his cuisine, is a whimsical inspiration for the holistic décor.”