For nearly a century, Le Bristol has been an institution along Paris’s fabled rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. From a marketing perspective though, the challenge has always been finding novel but authentic ways to keep up with the French capital’s glittering haul of palais hotels. In a very real sense, Le Bristol’s absorption into the Oetker Collection in 1978 has been a particular lifeline – the group has been an enthusiastic promoter of fashion functions, literary charity events and gastronomic celebrations that lure appreciative members of Paris’s jeunesse d’oreé.
Something of an insider’s secret has been Le Bristol’s staging of sculptural exhibitions in its manicured gardens, not least Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor and Xavier Veillan. To kick off the summer programme, Hicham Berrada has taken over Le Bar du Bristol with a film installation.
However, the marquee event is probably headlined by the French conceptual artist Daniel Buren who is currently staging his much anticipated return to Le Bristol in the garden right outside the 3 Michelin-starred Epicure. The occasion is a tasty appetiser to Buren’s turn at the Fondation Louis Vuitton where the 78-year old has swathed Frank Gehry’s sails with nearly 4000 pieces of coloured glass, transforming the gallery into an intoxicating sequence of billowing stained glass.
For Le Bristol’s site-specific installation, Buren is working on an altogether smaller, but no less effective, scale. ‘Une Pause Coloreé’ is exactly that – a kaleidoscopic interlude of rainbow hues folded around a sheltered walkway that is book-ended by open-toped dodecagon conservatories.
Of course, the Le Bristol work has antecedents, most notably in ‘Pergola’ for Hôtel de la Monnaie in 2009, and ‘La Pergola pour Trois Couleurs’ at Place Francois Mitterand, Joué-les-Tours. However, when staged against Le Bristol’s all-white façade and leafy greens, the effect of the coloured shades shifting through the day is singularly striking for their exuberant dappled effect.
The marquee event this year is probably headlined by the French conceptual artist Daniel Buren
The occasion is a tasty appetiser to Buren’s turn at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. For Le Bristol’s site-specific installation, Buren is working on an altogether smaller, but no less effective, scale
Une Pause Coloreé is exactly that – a kaleidoscopic interlude of rainbow hues folded around a sheltered walkway that is book-ended by open-toped dodecagon conservatories
INFORMATION
Une Pause Coloreé is on view until October.
For more information visit the Le Bristol website
Photography courtesy of Souvenir-photo© DB-ADAGP
ADDRESS
Le Bristol
112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
-
Ligne Roset teams up with Origine to create an ultra-limited-edition bikeThe Ligne Roset x Origine bike marks the first venture from this collaboration between two major French manufacturers, each a leader in its field
-
The Subaru Forester is the definition of unpretentious automotive designIt’s not exactly king of the crossovers, but the Subaru Forester e-Boxer is reliable, practical and great for keeping a low profile
-
Sotheby’s is auctioning a rare Frank Lloyd Wright lamp – and it could fetch $5 millionThe architect's ‘Double-Pedestal’ lamp, which was designed for the Dana House in 1903, is hitting the auction block 13 May at Sotheby's.
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
The warmth and comfort of Paris restaurant Margaux: ‘It’s like feasting at grandma’s’Located on the 16th arrondissement, Margaux dishes up timeless French classics in a setting that feels like home
-
Saint Laurent unveils Sushi Park Paris: the Los Angeles omakase’s new outpostA beloved Californian restaurant finds a second home at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite flagship, merging the worlds of haute couture and high-end gastronomy
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book nowSleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
-
Shop hyperlocal gifts, from Harlem to Hawaii, at R Finds’ global online storeWallpaper* goes shopping with R Finds, Renaissance Hotels’ digital marketplace, which connects travellers – and armchair travellers – with local makers and stores, one gift at a time
-
This Italian Bistrot in Paris offers all-year-round ‘felicità’A diminutive of the Italian word for family, Miglia is a cosy trattoria radiating warmth, friendliness, and traditional flavours
