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Philippe Starck gives its
lustre back to Baccarat ! |
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A few months ago, Baccarat moved into
the sumptuous mansion that belonged to the world-famous Marie-Laure de Noailles
and carried out its second cultural revolution: make trendy Parisians pour into
the new premises to visit a luminously beautiful showroom, museum and restaurant
(the offices are not open to the public). One of the most prestigious addresses
in all of Paris, it is also one of the most fashionable. It also demonstrates
the goal of Baccarat’s first revolution: a changeover from the failing tableware
market to jewellery and accessories, which now account for 25% of the crystal
master’s sales. Become a trendy Parisian yourself... join us for a guided tour
of the fantastic, many-faceted work of renowned designer Philippe Starck and
the equally talented painter, Gérard Garouste. |
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A few months ago, the famous crystal
master, Baccarat, left its ancestral premises on Rue de Paradis for this
prestigious mansion, Place des Etats-Unis in the 16th. The Viscountess Marie
Laure de Noailles lived here from 1920 to 1970. A patron of the arts, she
financed films by Bunuel, Cocteau and Man Ray, promoted Dali and Mondrian
and gave some of Paris’s most inventive balls. Baccarat gave Philippe Starck
carte blanche to redecorate the 3000 square metres of this splendid 1895
construction, built in neo-Louis XVI style by the architect Sanson. The
result is as magnificent as the place itself. |
As soon as you enter, you are surrounded by mirrors and glass. Porch walls are
decorated with bevelled mirrors and two fireplaces made entirely of mirrors. At
the far end, the kind of sumptuous chandelier only Baccarat can produce dips
half its crystal splendour into an aquarium! After you have gone by a lift in
glowing red glass, you come to a large salon with imposing display windows and a
luminous 13-metre long crystal table holding tableware collections. |
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