Architecture News

Experience the Metamorphosis: From Dinner to Dance at Le Poisson Volant

The Evolution of a Parisian Hotspot: From Gastronomy to Nightlife

At the newly opened Le Poisson Volant in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, an innovative concept comes to life. What begins as a refined dining experience with soft, ambient lighting gradually transforms into an exhilarating nightclub. The change is marked by a shift in lighting intensity and an increase in musical tempo, creating a fluid transition that redefines the traditional evening out.

A Fusion of Eras and Styles: The Vision Behind the Design

Claves, a Parisian interior architecture firm, meticulously crafted the interior of Le Poisson Volant. Drawing inspiration from Brutalist geometry and the nostalgic charm of 1980s Chinese eateries, the design creates a space that feels both contemporary and timeless. This dual aesthetic, influenced by the former L'International music venue, offers patrons a distinctly different atmosphere between dinner and the late-night hours.

The Creative Minds Behind Le Poisson Volant's Ambitious Concept

The vision for Le Poisson Volant originated with Bertrand Chauveau and Paul Henri, founders of the acclaimed Le Cornichon, in collaboration with chef Yanxin Yin. They re-engaged Claves, the same designers who shaped Le Cornichon, to realize their ambitious plan for the two-level establishment. A key inspiration for the team was New York's iconic China Chalet, known for its seamless shift from Chinese restaurant to a beloved late-night gathering spot.

Integrating Raw Structure with Refined Embellishments

The interior architecture of Le Poisson Volant is anchored by a robust framework of columns and beams, echoing Brutalist principles and the industrial heritage of its surroundings. This strong structural geometry is softened by delicate decorative lines and reflective surfaces. Expansive mirrors are strategically placed to align with the architectural grid, visually expanding the space and creating an illusion of boundless depth.

Ground Floor Dynamics: A Blend of Grandeur and Intimacy

On the ground level, the central focal point is a striking oval bar crafted from patinated steel. It is encircled by custom-built banquettes and walls painted in deep purple-brown hues. Patterned carpeting adds a layer of tactile richness, while high-backed chairs, reminiscent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's designs, introduce an element of unexpected elegance. Silver geometric motifs adorn the walls and columns, subtly referencing traditional Chinese art and Art Deco styles.

Cinematic Influences: Crafting an Evocative Ambiance

The designers drew heavily from the films of Wong Kar-wai, particularly his use of vivid colors, atmospheric settings, and explorations of reflections and enclosed spaces. Dark surfaces in Le Poisson Volant absorb light, while mirrors capture and refract fragments of the room, creating a mesmerizing visual experience. Under the reddish glow, the restaurant takes on a mysterious, dreamlike quality, evoking a sense of being transported across different eras and global locales.

A World of Ambiguity: Artistry in Every Detail

Claves envisioned the interior as an "imaginary Shanghai by night," where decorative arts and cinema freely intertwine. This sense of ambiguity is further enhanced by hand-painted mirrors that integrate artistic illustrations into the architecture, and a repeating ceiling grid that establishes a distinct visual rhythm. The overall effect is deliberately theatrical, yet the underlying architectural structure remains clear and cohesive.

The Subterranean Realm: A Journey to the Unseen

The staircase serves as a pivotal element, guiding guests between the two distinct levels. A monumental diptych by Chinese artist Shuo Hao, specifically commissioned for Le Poisson Volant, enhances the descent to the basement. This artwork adds its own narrative to the space, marking the transition from the vibrant restaurant above to the more secluded areas below.

Hidden Depths: The Aquarium and Private Sanctuary

The lower level features a DJ booth and a private room ingeniously concealed behind an aquarium filled with mineral formations. Inspired by the aquatic installations of artist Pierre Huyghe, this unique architectural partition provides a captivating visual element, its illuminated contents visible through the glass. Reflections continue across the surrounding surfaces, creating an intimate, self-contained environment that feels far removed from the city streets.

The Art of Illumination: Sculpting the Night's Mood

Lighting, developed in collaboration with Paris-based studio Matière Noire, is fundamental to Le Poisson Volant's transformative nature. Large luminous panels integrated into the ceiling grid provide soft, diffused lighting for dinner, then intensify and sharpen as the night progresses. This geometric lighting design not only reinforces the architecture but also allows for a complete change in atmosphere without requiring physical alterations to the space.

Harmonizing Sound and Light: The Nightclub Emerges

Complementing the lighting, the sound design by FLEiK plays a crucial role in the venue's metamorphosis. As the evening advances, music gradually becomes the central focus. Around 11 pm, Le Poisson Volant fully transitions into its club mode, extending its vibrant energy into the early morning hours on select nights. The same architectural elements – columns and mirrored walls – remain, but they are re-imagined under the pulsating lights, showcasing an innovative approach to hybrid hospitality that effortlessly accommodates two distinct experiences within a single evening.

Won Ji Lim's "Shifting Center" is a groundbreaking interactive sculpture that translates the artist's personal habits of control, like counting and organizing, into a dynamic environment. This modular metal structure, resembling a jungle gym, invites visitors to engage with its various elements, including suspended objects, woven membranes, and rule-based activities. The installation blurs the lines between private rituals and public participation, creating an evolving system of order and adjustment through constant interaction. It challenges perceptions of control and stability by incorporating materials that shift and change over time, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human behavior and anxieties. The project serves as a compelling platform for self-reflection and collective engagement, making the unseen aspects of individual routines visible and shareable.

The artwork's design allows for continuous transformation as participants interact with its components, from adjusting suspended elements to engaging with written thoughts and physical games. This dynamic interplay between the artist's initial concept and visitor input ensures that "Shifting Center" is never static, but rather a living, breathing entity. The installation uses everyday objects and processes to explore deeper psychological themes, providing a unique space where the act of archiving, balancing, and making choices becomes a communal experience. Through its innovative use of materials and interactive design, "Shifting Center" encourages a dialogue about the interplay between structure and fluidity, individual habits and collective experiences, offering a fresh perspective on human interaction with art.

Transforming Personal Habits into Collective Experiences

Artist Won Ji Lim, based in Chicago, has developed "Shifting Center," an ongoing sculptural project that ingeniously translates individual rituals of control—such as the meticulous act of counting, checking, or aligning items—into a tangible and interactive setting. This installation, constructed from metal pipes and connectors, measures approximately 9 x 9 x 6 feet and evokes the familiar form of a playground jungle gym. Its modular design incorporates various elements like hanging objects, intricately woven membranes, transparent pockets, and balancing devices. Through these components, the artwork facilitates a series of rule-based activities, encouraging visitors to physically enter and navigate the structure, thereby turning deeply personal and often subconscious behaviors into a shared, physical experience. This innovative approach allows the audience to not only observe but actively participate in the artistic process, transforming abstract concepts of control into concrete interactions.

"Shifting Center" goes beyond mere observation, inviting direct engagement that continuously alters its spatial dynamics and thematic interpretations. The installation features hog casing woven tightly across parts of the metal frame, which naturally stretches and dries, symbolizing the inherent limits and shifts within fixed structures. A suspended plumb bob, set within a hand-woven square, visually represents the quest for physical equilibrium, offering a momentary sense of stability as it finds its center. Transparent pockets within the structure house archived written thoughts and diagrams, which are photographed and re-integrated, creating a living record of the installation's evolution and the artist's internal negotiations with uncertainty. Further interactive components, such as a modified baseball rebounder with a target graphic, numbered tags, and colored beads, transform acts of anxiety and order into playful, communal challenges. Each interaction by a visitor introduces unpredictable decisions, continuously reshaping the artwork and blurring the boundaries between initial organization and emergent chaos.

The Dynamic Evolution of a Modular Art System

The artistic endeavor by Won Ji Lim expertly combines a rigid structural framework with elements composed of unstable or organic materials. This contrast is vividly demonstrated through the use of hog casing, which is carefully woven into the metal frame. Over time, as this material stretches and dries, it undergoes noticeable physical transformations, serving as a powerful metaphor for the inherent limitations and continuous shifts within seemingly fixed structural orders. Another key element is a suspended plumb bob, meticulously placed within a hand-woven square, which visually articulates the process of seeking physical balance and offers a fleeting sensation of relief when it momentarily settles at its core. Transparent pockets integrated throughout the installation serve as archives for the artist’s written thoughts and diagrams, documenting personal attempts to establish rules and organize daily behaviors. These archived texts are periodically photographed and re-inserted into the system, creating a recursive loop that chronicles the ongoing assembly and conceptual evolution of the installation itself.

Beyond these introspective elements, the artwork also features additional interactive components designed to encourage direct public participation. These include a re-purposed baseball rebounder adorned with a target graphic, along with various numbered tags and colored beads. Each of these elements invites visitors to engage in rule-based activities, transforming simple actions into opportunities for contemplation and interaction. Designed with an inherent capacity for reconfiguration, the modular installation functions as a continuously evolving system. The movements and interactions of visitors are not merely passive observations but active contributions that perpetually alter the spatial dynamics and thematic interpretations of the artwork. This constant interplay ensures that "Shifting Center" remains a living, breathing entity, where every engagement adds a new layer to its complex narrative of control, chaos, and emergent order, making it a profoundly dynamic and endlessly engaging piece of contemporary art.