As part of an installation for Paris Design Week, French design studio Uchronia has taken over the forecourt of the Hôtel de la Marine with a monumental bed that homages the hotel’s 18th-century interiors.
Titled Day Bed, the installation is situated just off the Place de la Concorde in Paris and takes the form of a tiled four-poster bed, complete with curtains and an upholstered headboard, accessed via two large steps.
Day Bed is a homage to the hotel’s Indenants’ Apartments, once belonging to the intendant of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, which managed the furniture of the French royal household and would later become the Mobilier National.
“Each apartment showcases sumptuous beds adorned with intricate details and vibrant drapes, all contributing to a truly captivating atmosphere,” Uchronia’s designer Clémentine Bricard told Dezeen. “Every element, down to the smallest detail, sparked our imagination.”
The bed is clad almost entirely in ceramic tiles by Dutch company Palet, characterised by their vibrant colours and gradient patterns.
“We wanted to give a contemporary approach to the bed, so ceramic tiles were an obvious choice for the project,” Bricard said.
The tiles feature tones of red, orange, pink and blue, helping the installation stand out against the neutral backdrop of the hotel. The colours also reflect those found in the actual Indenants’ apartments.
“The blue comes from Madame Thierry de Ville d’Avray’s state bedroom, the red from the Salon Diplomatique and the yellow from Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville-d’Avray’s study,” said Bricard.
Curtains are draped from the four-post structure, with curved patterns designed by French brand Casamance.
Selected from the brand’s outdoor collection, the fabrics are made with UV-resistant ink to maintain their colours and patterns, which add to the installation’s graphic appeal.
“The design is perfect for the curtains to add a ripple to the structure,” Bricard said.
The fabric used to form the bed sheets and upholstered headboard was also sourced from the outdoor collection, featuring a blue wave motif against a white backcloth.
A fan produced by Parisan fan manufacturer Duvelleroy is suspended above the bed, “as if its owner were going to lie down in bed and fan herself a little,” Bricard said.
“We wanted to create a poetic dimension by including the fan, with its lightness floating in the air,” she explained.
Golden curtain holders were used to embellish the bedposts and blue cloud-shaped cushions were placed on the bed for added comfort.
The installation also includes six cuboid-shaped benches that surround the bed, covered in paint by American company Tonester that was colour-matched to the tiles.
The Day Bed was designed and produced in collaboration with French bed brand Treca, which built the bed and its headboard, while the installation structure was built by fabricator Studio Gaïa.
Creating work for the Hôtel de la Marine fulfilled longstanding ambitions for Uchronia’s design team, born from a visit and tour of the Indenants’ apartments.
“We were absolutely enchanted by the Hôtel de la Marine,” Bricard said. “It was a cherished dream of ours to take over this space.”
Uchronia hopes that the piece can spark opportunities for young designers to work in the public spaces of Paris. “It’s important to have a new generation to rethink the city and it’s public space,” said Bricard.
Day Bed is on display until 22 September as part of Paris Design Week, which takes place each year around the Maison&Objet trade fair.
Uchronia usually works in the world of interiors and was named emerging interior design studio of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards, with projects spread across the French capital including a coffee shop and a colourful renovation for a Haussmann-era apartment.
The London Design Festival takes place from 14 to 22 September 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
