Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
World-renowned industrial and interior designer Philippe Starck teams up with leading manufacturer Electric Mirror to design custom lighted mirrors for the historic and momentous palace renovation of Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris.
A Palace with a Soul: Electric Mirror Carries Out the Vision of Philippe Starck for Le Royal Monceau
By Laura Kimball
Le Royal Monceau is the hotel of choice for artists, intellectuals, and heads of state since its doors opened in 1928. Qatari Diar purchased it in 2007 with the dream to revive and return the palace to its former glory into the new millennia.
In October 2010, the newly renovated Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, opened its doors to a new generation. The vision, led by world-renowned designer Philippe Starck, is dedicated to the intersection of art and the city of Paris. In Starck's words, "There is already a special substance, which allows us to dedicate this hotel to creativity and its mystery, to poetry, to humour, to spoken things, but especially non-spoken, to things murmured rather than shouted."
It is a "hotel on the threshold of change," says John Johnston, President of Raffles Hotel & Resorts. And is especially true about the guest room bathrooms, which feature four custom-lighted mirrors that Starck teamed up with world-class manufacturer, Electric Mirror, to create.
"There's a real artisan aspect to these mirrors," explains chief designer, Jim Mischel of Electric Mirror. The lighted vanity mirror is the focal point of each bathroom. It is an elaborate combination of polished stainless steel, extra white glass, and warm LED lighting, sourced from Europe to produce perfectly balanced light around the mirror, eliminating shadows. The most astonishing feature, a subtle yet delightful surprise, is not what you see while standing in front of the mirror under the extra gallery light, but what you notice your second or third time in the bathroom. Behind the vanity mirror is a piece of artwork that is reflected by the wall of beveled mirrors. Like Paris itself, the mirrors are a continual source of new discovery.
"This is the most difficult lighted mirror that we've produced," Mischel says, as he explains how the vanity mirror is made up of five separate mirrors that fit together like a puzzle, so no light escapes through at the edges.
The vanity mirror featured in the main guestrooms is equaled in magnitude by other original mirror designs on display throughout the hotel. Above twin vanities in a new guest bathroom hang a pair of lighted mirrors that feature a glass globe blown by world famous French artist Aristide Najean. Due to its complex design, Electric Mirror could not use traditional methods for welding the stainless steel casing, so Mischel's team of master welders reached out to the aerospace industry to discover new techniques in welding to micro-polish the corners to perfection.
A finishing touch to the main guest bathroom is a vanity mirror over the tub. In this mirror, one's own reflection is replaced by a piece of artwork that is illuminated by a gallery light. The mirror itself is placed directly across the bathroom from the primary vanity mirror, art reflecting art.
Over 200 engineering hours went in to designing and manufacturing 435 custom lighted-mirrors envisioned by Philippe Starck. "What we've asked [Electric Mirror] to make is a very sophisticated product, [and] they succeeded," says Lionel Charpentier, owner of RCH, the purchasing agent for the renovation.
Imagine if you were a guest at Le Royal Monceau, waking up in the morning, washing your hands in the sink, looking at your reflection. The specially colored LED lights fade on, rising to the occasion, revealing your "true self" and color. Your reflection is the focal point of that mirror, highlighted by the gallery light above the frame, and the piece of artwork is yourself.
Le Royal Monceau is a distinctly Parisian hotel and Electric Mirror makes it distinctly your hotel.