ABOUT THESE PRIVATE OFFICES IN MATIGNON
Architects : Maison Louis – Shift In
Interior architects : Louis Denavaut and Hauvette & Madani
Type : Furnishing, Layout, Works
Location : IDF
Surface area: 3000 m²
Sector of activity : Confidential
Photos : De Pasquali et Maffini
An invitation to travel
The Cider group creates architectural lots and custom-made furniture for private offices in Matignon
“There all is order and beauty, luxury, calm and pleasure Gleaming furniture, polished by the years, would decorate our room…” It is while looking at the images of the Cider Group’s latest project that these few lines of Baudelaire come to mind.
However, at this confidential address on Avenue Matignon in Paris, you will find neither hotel rooms nor old furniture. 4000m2 of brand new offices await you, dressed in the charm of the old and the technological prowess of today. An ambitious project completed in 2020, where the Cider Group – through its subsidiary 2SW – was able to demonstrate to Shift In all its expertise in works, layout and furnishing of work spaces. Thanks to its furniture publishing house, Cider went so far as to develop custom-made furnishings, in line with the drawings and plans of architects and designers Louis Denavaut and Hauvette & Madani.
Combining state-of-the-art technology and contemporary aesthetics
The building, located in a modern building with large glass facades, suffered from a lack of charm and expression. For its premises, the confidential client wanted to see a combination of cutting-edge technology and contemporary aesthetics in a warm spirit closer to the codes of the hotel industry than those of the service sector.
A combination of talents for a style office
To completely rethink this space, the confidential client brought together the interior architects and designers Hauvette & Madani and Louis Denavaut – young up-and-coming figures in residential and hotel design -, the project management assistant Shift In – specialised in corporate real estate projects – and the Cider Group, with its subsidiary 2SW – general contractor for works and fittings, and its publishing house Cider for the production of customised furniture.
“You don’t feel like you’re in an open-plan office, but like you’re in a beautiful hotel with a lobby, rooms, offices and seminar rooms”. hauvette & madani
A masterful and audacious project with refinement and subtlety
For these private offices, the team thus formed took up the challenge of combining cutting-edge technology, acoustic standards, intensive use and refined aesthetics, giving this space a unique charm, which thwarts all the usual office codes with great elegance. To offset the initial coldness of the space, a range of beiges is used, from the carpeted floor to the travertine and the curtains, bringing light and comforting warmth. The interior facades are clad in a double skin of natural wood, as are the acoustically efficient coffered ceilings. The warmth provided by this noble material is accentuated by the soft curves of the metal doors and glass walls. Brushed stainless steel in the kitchen and shimmering aluminium in the entrance hall modernise and distinguish the ensemble.
Delicacy and prowess in furnishing
Each of the fittings produced entirely by 2SW continues the creative line thought up by the architects with finesse. The company and its team have been able to adapt to remain faithful to their aesthetic and technical requirements, and to guarantee the project unprecedented smoothness and ergonomic comfort, sometimes by adopting new technological solutions. All their know-how and sensitivity can be seen in the creation of the bookcases and carpentry fittings. The creation of rounded edge-to-edge glass partitions become the cradle for electric curtains. At the entrance, the surprisingly rounded reception desk with a mirror reflects the generous curves of the Onigiri sofa in virginal colours and the visitors’ benches combining the minerality of stone and the organics of leather. On the ceiling, a removable acoustic panel conceals the air conditioning system with refinement.
Unique furniture
A large part of the furniture was specially designed for the project by Louis Denavaut and Hauvette & Madani, and produced thanks to Cider’s production and publishing capacity. The furniture is unique: the Onigiri sofa with its rounded shapes, inspired by the Japanese rice-based pastries that are eaten with relish, but also the counters, benches, adjustable desks and all the meeting tables. The height-adjustable executive desks feature a comma-shaped top – a nod to the global environment – combined with a lacquered base. A majestic meeting table in thermo-cooked oak accommodates retractable screens and its base will serve as a niche for the video conferencing system.
“Think of the sweetness of going there to live together!” No Baudelairean spleen here, the result is warm, elegant and functional. Timeless.
“On ne s’y sent pas comme dans un bureau en open space, mais comme dans un bel hôtel avec un lobby, des chambres, des bureaux et des salles de séminaires.” hauvette & madani