Photographs by Jean-François Jaussaud
There are many fantasies of the Parisian life. A garret from which to recite Rimbaud across the rooftops. An apartment overlooking the gardens of the Palais Royal. A houseboat. But few people have the audacity or, more important, the euros to imagine an entire hôtel particulier to themselves. And even fewer would let their architect approach the place with such expansive imagination.
Hôtels particuliers are not, of course, hotels, though some are now occupied by them. A housing type that had its heyday in the mid-seventeenth century, when noblemen erected them as urban retreats with spacious inner courtyards and ample back gardens, they are now primarily museums, institutes, or embassies. This one was last occupied by a bank, which had chopped up its space into many little offices. The couple who bought it were, says their architect, Pierre Yovanovitch, “fearless,” and so began a very dramatic renovation of 10,763 square feet. Most dramatic of all was the installation of the grand central spiral staircase, which Yovanovitch, who got his start as a menswear designer at Pierre Cardin, envisioned as a floating ribbon winding its way up through space. This feat of engineering took a year to produce, and the metal foundation of the staircase was lowered by a giant crane in two pieces through the roof before it was finished in velvety stucco plaster—looking as pure as poured milk. Other bold touches in the apartment include a curved steel passageway—inspired by the terminals at Charles de Gaulle airport—that links the master bedroom to the bath, and the roof itself, to which Yovanovitch affixed a glass top over the atrium. When you’re standing beneath it, at the very top of the stairs, you can look straight down and see the mosaic of tiles in the shallow reflecting pool. Nearby is a proper swimming pool, for laps—an in-home luxury even the noblemen of pre-revolutionary France probably never imagined.
The Ribbon Staircase
Construction took a year, and the metal frame was brought through the roof in two pieces and finished on-site.
Photo: Jean-François Jaussaud
The Salon is anchored by a custom-designed S-shaped sofa that runs the length of the room. The sculptural molded ceiling accommodates lighting. A coffee table by Edward Wormley sits near the desk, a pair of Billy Haines chairs by the window. The photographs are by Nobuyoshi Araki. Photo: Jean-François Jaussaud
The Foyer
The geometric marble floor is patterned
to reflect the
custom-designed metal door by Pierre Yovanovitch.
Photo: Jean-François Jaussaud
Photo: Jean-François Jaussaud
The Reflecting Pool
Not to be confused with the actual swimming pool through the far entryway at right.
Photo: Jean-François Jaussaud
