Policronica crafts Parisian hotel interior using "invasive wood"

Design studio Policronica has transformed the interior of Hotel Elysée Montmartre in Paris, relying almost exclusively on a single species of wood.

The 850-square-metre space nods to the studio's signature aesthetic and features a monochrome interior characterised by architectural woodwork and wooden furnishings.

Nearly every element of the hotel interior was custom-designed and crafted on-site at Policronica's workshop in Lisbon using locally sourced eucalyptus wood.

"Everything is made from eucalyptus wood, an invasive wood that we are requalifying," the studio said. "We proposed to the customer that all the hotel's fixtures and fittings be made from eucalyptus trunks, which are normally cut to make paper pulp."

By bringing the entire design and manufacturing process in-house, the studio aimed to rethink the production process for a commercial interior – a choice that it says significantly lowered the project's carbon footprint.

"In contrast to the typical approaches to hotel interior design, often addressed in a more ensemble-focused logic, we aimed for this project to design and manufacture 100 per cent of the hotel's elements: the furnishings, lighting and handles," architect Julien Labrousse told Dezeen.

"Without repetitive shipping from one point to another, as in traditional schemes, our production is extremely low in carbon."

Featuring "warm and raw materials" such as wood, plant fibres, brass and neutral fabrics, the studio strived to create a clean, organic aesthetic throughout all 16 rooms of Hotel Elysée Montmartre.

"This resulted in a very cohesive interior design that evokes a return to basics in an urban context," said Labrousse. "The design highlights raw materials in their most natural form, where wood – ever-present – is worked to preserve its imperfections."

With its design, Policronica aimed to reevaluate the local eucalyptus wood – typically reserved for papermaking – by using it to show high-end craftsmanship throughout the interior.

"The goal, on a small scale, is to demonstrate the possibility of using this wood for noble purposes, valorising this material and getting involved in heterogeneous forestry practices," Labrousse explained.

Informed by Nordic aesthetics and Japanese architectural woodwork, the studio’s use of pared-back, natural materials intended to emphasise the simplicity and functionality of its design.

"It is inspired by different universes, such as Nordic design and Japanese wooden architecture," explained Labrousse. "These influences manifest in simple forms, [with] a strong emphasis on woodwork and the refinement of joinery."

The studio is still in the process of finalising the interior, with Hotel Elysée Montmartre scheduled to open in January 2025. Plans for ongoing renovations hope to see an additional ten rooms added to the hotel within a year of its opening.

This project has been shortlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2024. Other projects that have also been shortlisted in this category include Ennea Hotel by Comité de Proyectos and Locke at East Side Gallery by Grzywinksk + Pons.

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