Le Dauphin

The Dauphin is getting closer to an urban architectural madness. It’s small, attractive and more than original. Like most follies, it looks like a miniature temple. But it is not dedicated to libertine pleasures but rather to the joys of bistronomy, quality bistro-gastronomy. Carved with white marble and shining, which covers walls, floors and ceilings, the restaurant is built like a Greek temple, with a majestic central bar, a real Naos, a sanctuary of the most secret. Four poles, one at each corner of the U-shaped bar, reinforce the centrality of this holy of holies. Despite its small footprint (the restaurant is less than 60 square meters), the place seems uncluttered, both when sitting on high stools for dinner at the bar counter, or at a small bistro table. The layout as an additional detail that is strangely reminiscent of Hellenistic sanctuaries. In front, there is a pronaos, a glazed portico that acts as a transitional space between the profane and the sacred, or in this case, between the sal pavement Parisian and the delicious and smooth marble floor of the restaurant. Extruded from the facade, this veranda is no more a traditional French terrace than a transparent portal that frames the interior view. Open on the street, the Dauphin is a fantastic presence in the monotony of Parmentier Avenue.

The idea of creating a marble sanctuary came quickly. It was decided to make this material, usually associated with sterile rooms and luxury bathrooms, an abstract coating that reflects a subtle hedonistic experience.

The restaurant received the 2010 Fooding Award for Best Interior Design even before it opened.

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credits

Architects: Clément Blanchet and Rem Koolhaas
Client: Fred Péneau and Inaki Aizpitarte
Nature of the operation: Commission
Realised in: 2011
Site: Avenue Parmentier, Paris
Program: Restaurant
Budget: 400,000 Euros

TEAM COMPOSITION

Locksmith: Eric Puissant
Engineering: Absolubatiment
Marble: Dalle Nogare et EDM Paris
Carpenter: JP Laporte
Kitchen: Electrolux
Acoustic: Renz van Luxemburg
Furniture: Bassam Fellows