mama shelter

via yatzer

- gorgeous boutique hotel in central paris by roland castro & philippe starck. coolness and unconventionality summarized.

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MAMA SHELTER

We live in a world where everything seems to have a price. Every social, racial, religious or sexual group is placed in a particular category that can be assessed in terms of how much revenue they can bring to a particular industry branch. We are also subject to incessant judgment anywhere we go. Paris, the premier tourist destination, is not an exception. Its variety of hotels still segregates tourists placing them in an array of separate categories.
In this world of division and exclusion, however, there are a few districts that dare not to mind what “other people will say”. These intransigent spots are hence timeless and respond to the human fragility, complexity, sophistication and constant pursuit of the meaning of life.
Mama Shelter’s goal is to take into consideration the person and not the social constraints by which he is bound. We have created a “shelter”, which as opposed to locking one out from the outside world provides him with food for thought, an ambience in which he is able to think freely and discover the Paris known to locals by experiencing the French capital’s urban and cosmopolitan side.
On November 22, 2001 we (Serge Trigano, former president of Club Med; Cyril Aouizerate, philosopher and expert on urban development; Benjamin Trigano, a partner in the US constantly in search of what’s “new”; Jérémie Trigano, the realist who pinpoints problems) discovered a picturesque spot in the 20th arrondissement, in the heart of the Village Saint Blaise. It was here, in this old garage “adorned” with graffiti by 109 rue de Bagnolet that we decided to drop anchor.
Excited to start working on our new project, we began cooperating with Roland Castro on the architecture and Philippe Starck on the design, which, 7 years later, resulted in the materialization of Mama Shelter, our long awaited project, created against all odds and to the disbelief of the many skeptics.
In September of 2008 Mama Shelter will open its doors to the public revealing the 172 rooms on 7 floors in 5 color schemes. Clients will be able to choose from 49 ft² (15m²) size rooms to 114 ft² (35 m²) size rooms ranging from approximately $120 (79 Euros) to $460 (299 Euros). The largest suite, situated on the top floor, has a terrace that provides its guest with a magnificent view of “Paris made in the 20th district”.
Each room is equipped with a kitchenette and was designed in collaboration with the famous designer, Philippe Starck, who made sure the hotel guests felt comfortable, as if they were staying in a sensual refuge with luxurious bedding, 5 star 100% cotton satin sheets, coffee machines, microwaves, 24 inch IMacs (including TV, radio, CD/DVD, Skype and free Internet access), everything adorned with an urban twist. Each morning, on every floor, right across from the elevators, there will be a board with daily events of the cultural life of Paris inscribed in chalk.
Our ambition was to create not only a place to spend the night, but to establish a modern kibbutz, a laic monastery, a place where friends can gather around the table to share a meal prepared by our chef or to visit the nearby “Fleche D’Or”, the popular Parisian electro- indie rock club.
On the main floor of Mama Shelter guests will be greeted from across an enormous table with built-in screens in front of which cold cabinets will hold meals available to the guests 24/7. Our chef, responsible for the idea of such meals also envisioned a corner with sweets to satisfy the sweet tooth of the youngest hotel residents. After having chosen the delicacies the guests wish to indulge in, they will be taken to their room, where they can relax in the comfortable seating, surrounded by candles. Monitors are not only built into the large table close to the entrance, but also into the hotel’s columns, thanks to which the guests are constantly informed and entertained.
For those who can still easily reconnect with their inner child there is an 8-person foosball table. There is also a terrace for those to whom winter poses no threat or those who like to enjoy a puff. The yoga lovers can let go and meditate in our “Yoga Room”, thrill seekers can rent electric scooters or motorbikes whereas others can rent cars with chauffeurs. We also provide a large parking space fitting 50 cars and offer guides with information about the secrets of the 20th arrondissement to be discovered at any time of day or night.
At Mama Shelter you will be hosted and taken care of by our staff diverse in age, race and gender and carefully selected by our management. They are dressed by the top couturier designer Anne Gelbard and trained by Jean Claude Elgaire, the former chef concierge of the Plazza Athénée.
Mama Shelter will surely be the true urban experience one wishes to find in the City of Lights, Paris.