A hotel, source of emotions and living spaces
The Laurent Taïeb group imagined the TOO Hotel with the interior architect and artistic director Philippe Starck, and a 4-star hotel and restaurants in partnership with Pascal Donat, operating under the MGallery brand. Laurent Taïeb, CEO and Founder of the Laurent Taïeb group, famed for his expertise in creating living spaces, shares his vision of the mixed-use project.
How did you get involved in the Duo Towers project?
There was an invitation for tenders to which I responded with my partner Pascal Donat, by proposing this fantastic idea of bringing together two leading lights in French architecture: Jean Nouvel and Philippe Starck. I think we won the competition because we submitted a global response: as the tower shares the same entrance, people must be able to move easily from one experience to another in order for them to enjoy strong emotions.
What attracted you to this high-rise building?
When I arrived from Tunisia in 1974, I grew up in a low-cost apartment building not far from Porte d’Aubervilliers in the 19th arrondissement that offered a view from the 16th floor that was certainly less spectacular than that of the Duo Towers… When I saw that the hotel in this new project started on the 17th floor, I told myself that this was a sign of the onward march of history and that I had to carry out this project.
How does Groupe BPCE fit in with your clientele?
Groupe BPCE is one of the main actors in the story I just mentioned. Today, the district has become a major business center: nearly 60,000 people work here, and it’s only going to get bigger. This attracts an initial type of customer, from Monday to Thursday. But we’re also in a university area with a lot of people who go out to eat and drink, which prompted us to set up a skybar on the 27th floor. At weekends, a more international clientele stays at the hotel, located only 2.5km from central Paris.
What is the concept that informs your hotel?
To be successful in hotel services, you have to create places where people can live and meet while simultaneously striking the right economic balance. We want to create ensembles: not just a hotel but also a place where people can feel emotions. It’s a human and social commitment.
What message would you like to send to Groupe BPCE employees who are currently settling into the towers?
You will be our first customers. What we have done and what you are doing is the first step towards the creation of Greater Paris. We have a shared interest in infusing new life into these districts.
CEO and Founder of the Laurent Taïeb group
Designed by the architect and artistic director Philippe Starck, the hotel and restaurants decoration offer a colorful scenery with an exceptional view of Paris.
