Acclaimed avant-garde designer Philippe Starcke is now using his incredible creativity to transform hotels. One of these is a collaboration with Hilton Hotels, an 18th Century Alsation-style house on top of an ultramodern property. Baroque Access has all the details
It sounds as weird as can be expected from designer Philippe Starcke – a traditional Alsation house on top of an ultramodern building. But in his inimitable fashion, it is sure to be quite exceptional as well as decidedly unique. The hotel, which will be called Maison Heler Metz, will be located in the city of Metz in the north-eastern part of France.
The hotel will form part of Hilton Hotel’s exceptional, unique Curio Collection by Hilton. In true Starcke style, the building itself is in complete contrast to the house located atop it; the modern 14-story tower is topped by an 18th Century house that comes complete with a rooftop terrace, garden and trees, as if it was built on a street somewhere, and not high up in the sky.
The hotel’s cosy restaurant and lounge bar as well as a gym will be located within the ‘house’, while the 119 guest rooms will be located in the modern building below, all featuring Hilton Hotels’ signature comfort and elegance as well as modern amenities.
Why Metz, you ask? Apparently the town is being revived and redeveloped, so a hotel of this nature would be a welcome addition. Starcke is not as pragmatic; for the designer the project is a surreal, poetic work of art. He has called the project “an ‘out-of-scale’ phantasmagoric archirtecture” and “a symbolic construction of the Lorraine region”.
Starcke is famous for his unique, diverse designs, which include household objects such as chairs and toothbrushes as well as watches and boats. This is not his first hotel design either – he has created numerous hotel interiors over the years.
The hotel will be the first high-end establishment to open in Metz in a number of years, highlighting the city which is doing everything in its power to renew itself. It will be located in the newly-developed city centre, called Quartier de l’Amphithéâtre and is the first-ever complete creation by this renowned design icon.
Hilton’s Curio Collection is a portfolio of almost 50 luxury hotels and resorts around the world that have been handpicked by the brand because of their unique character. An example of one of the hotels in the collection is the historic Renwick Hotel in New York.