A wider view of La Fondation’s interior reveals Roman & Williams’ layered hospitality language: walnut cabinetry, sculptural seating, vintage-inflected lamps and a palette of ochre, cream and espresso tones. Large windows draw daylight deep inside, while shelving and artwork give the room the character of a private Paris residence.

La Fondation: A 1960s Car Park in Paris Artfully Recast as a Hotel, Wellness and Cultural Hub

Words by Yatzer

Paris, France

Adaptive reuse projects often have a tendency to lean into familiar formulas based on preserving the original shell, softening edges, and adding contemporary polish. La Fondation in Paris takes a more integrated route. Located in Les Batignolles, a village-like neighbourhood in the 17th arrondissement, the project occupies two adjoining 1960s structures, a former office block and a multi-storey car park, now recast as a layered civic ecosystem comprising a five-star hotel, restaurants, sports and wellness facilities, and workspaces. Conceived by real estate developer Groupe Galia, the project hired Paris-based architecture practice PCA-STREAM to rework the site’s Brutalist framework into a porous, mixed-use destination, acclaimed New York interior designers Roman & Williams to bring warmth, tactility and craftsmanship to the hotel's muscular frame, and Parisian interior designer Marika Dru to imbue the sports club with an atmosphere of minimalist refinement. Together, the project’s programme and design language stage a considered dialogue between the property’s industrial-modernist heritage and the rich cultural and artisanal history of its neighbourhood.

With its tree-lined streets, independent cafés, natural wine bars and relaxed creative crowd, Les Batignolles has long balanced everyday conviviality with cultural relevance—in the 19th century it was closely associated with the Impressionists such as Édouard Manet and his circle who often gathered here. Today, its mix of artisans, galleries, young businesses and quietly fashionable dining culture finds a contemporary counterpart in La Fondation’s hybrid programme.

A street-facing service window is treated with the same refinement as the interiors, framed in oak and topped by a branded canvas awning. Warm afternoon light washes the pale façade, turning a simple takeaway counter into a quietly cinematic urban vignette.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

La Fondation’s courtyard façade in Paris reveals PCA-STREAM’s adaptive reuse strategy through a transparent steel-and-glass insertion framed by neighbouring masonry buildings. Layered workspaces glow behind the gridded envelope, while bridges, terraces and planted rooflines add depth. Industrial precision meets domestic scale in a calm urban composition.

Photo © Salem Mostefaoui for PCA-STREAM

The site’s unusual footprint, a long, narrow parcel stretching from Rue Legendre, has been used to organise two distinct but interconnected worlds. Facing the street, the former office building now houses the hotel and hospitality venues; behind it, the old car park accommodates the sports club, spa and workspaces, opening onto a leafy courtyard. Binding them together is the project’s most memorable inherited feature: the former car park’s concrete spiral ramp. Converted into a monumental staircase, it now acts as circulation spine, informal gallery and event venue, transforming a once utilitarian gesture into the social heart of the complex.

Externally, PCA-STREAM reworked the façade through a measured contrast of dark metal framing, generous glazing and warm timber detailing. The language is crisp but not severe, allowing daylight deep into the interiors while tempering the muscularity of the original structure. Throughout the development, planted terraces, patios, green walls and the courtyard soften the building’s industrial bones, creating moments of retreat.

A rooftop garden stretches above La Fondation with linear paths, planted borders and scattered seating overlooking classic Parisian rooftops. Steel walkways and glazed pavilions retain the site’s industrial logic, while abundant vegetation introduces a biophilic softness. The result feels both infrastructural and unexpectedly serene in the dense city fabric.

Photo © Salem Mostefaoui for PCA-STREAM

A wider view of La Fondation’s interior reveals Roman & Williams’ layered hospitality language: walnut cabinetry, sculptural seating, vintage-inflected lamps and a palette of ochre, cream and espresso tones. Large windows draw daylight deep inside, while shelving and artwork give the room the character of a private Paris residence.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

A richly layered lounge pairs cream bouclé seating and amber velvet upholstery with open timber shelving, art books and collected objects. Warm light washes over textured rugs and walnut joinery, creating a midcentury-modern atmosphere with residential ease. Roman & Williams shape hospitality through craft, intimacy and quietly curated detail.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

The reception lounge at La Fondation combines warm timber panelling, bronze-toned furniture and soft ambient lighting with a dark textured front desk. Cylindrical ceiling fixtures and framed artworks lend a subtle retro character. Balanced symmetry and tactile materials create an arrival experience that feels composed, intimate and urbane.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Viewed through a framed passage, the suite’s kitchenette unfolds in warm timber joinery with rounded drawer fronts, brass fittings and a dark stone worktop. Parquet flooring and soft natural light enhance the residential mood. The layered thresholds create depth, turning circulation into a deliberate spatial experience.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Close-up detail of the suite’s bespoke kitchenette showcases Roman & Williams’ craft-led material language: figured timber cabinetry, rounded edges, black stone surfaces and polished brass fixtures. Two cocktails add a lived-in note. Functional elements are treated as furniture, elevating utility into quiet luxury.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The suite’s living area is articulated through portal-like timber frames that define zones without closing them off. A compact bar, floating shelves and vintage-inspired furnishings animate the open plan, while daylight warms the parquet floor. Spatial clarity meets softness in a residential, midcentury-inflected setting.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

A guest room centres on a generously framed timber bed set against a deep indigo plaster wall. Crisp white linens, brass lighting and woven flooring introduce contrast and tactility, while the upholstered green headboard adds a subtle note of colour. The composition feels calm, tailored and quietly luxurious.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

Roman & Williams continue with the same dialogue into the interiors, translating the building’s robust architectural frame into spaces of warmth and tactility, paying homage to mid-century modernism filtered through contemporary craft. Here, rich timber panelling, stone, concrete and metal are layered with velvet, leather and plush textiles, while mustard, emerald and ruby accents punctuate an otherwise grounded palette. Vintage furniture from the 1970s and 1980s sits alongside bespoke pieces made by French artisans and artworks curated by Amélie Maison d’Art, lending the interiors a sense of authorship and reinforcing the project’s cultural ambitions whilst echoing the neighbourhood’s artistic lineage.

Spread across seven floors, the hotel’s 55 rooms and three suites lean into the scheme’s artisanal sensibility, featuring hand-washed indigo walls, bespoke joinery, including sculpted timber headboards, and carefully assembled objects and artworks. Floor-to-ceiling windows maximise light, while green-tiled bathrooms introduce a graphic note of colour and nostalgic flair. The overall effect is considered and residential, with enough visual character to remain memorable without tipping into excess.

This wider bedroom view reveals Roman & Williams’ residential approach: bespoke oak joinery, integrated storage, curated artworks and a window opening onto the rooftop garden beyond. Soft daylight brightens the rich material palette, balancing intimacy with openness. Hospitality is expressed through craftsmanship rather than excess.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

  • A bedroom is revealed through a dark timber threshold, turning a simple doorway into a cinematic frame. Crisp white bedding contrasts with a moody blue plaster wall, while rounded joinery softens the geometry. The image captures the hotel’s careful balance of intimacy, elegance and restraint.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • This suite living area layers deep blue walls, pale plaster, woven textiles and dark timber furniture into a richly tactile composition. A window-side dining nook draws daylight into the room, balancing the cocooning palette. Roman & Williams create a residential atmosphere shaped by comfort and crafted detail.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A martini glass catches the window light on a black pedestal table beside a timber chair with teal leather straps. Heavy curtains and shadowy tones heighten the sense of evening ritual. The still life distils the hotel’s mood: refined, sensual and quietly cinematic.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

A richly textured suite lounge pairs a deep blue plaster wall with honey-toned timber framing, woven flooring and sculptural seating in contrasting fabrics. The low stone table and artisanal objects add quiet gravitas. Roman & Williams balance intimacy and drama through saturated colour, tactile surfaces and carefully composed proportions.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

A dining area, bedroom and sitting room align in a sequence of timber-lined volumes, revealing the suite’s apartment-like planning. Sculptural chairs, a matte black pedestal table and deep blue accent walls introduce contrast to the warm palette. The composition reflects refined hospitality shaped by domestic comfort.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A wider view of the bathroom reveals its immersive palette of moss-green tile, amber glass blocks and polished metal accents. The generous mirror amplifies depth and glow, while integrated shelving keeps the composition clean. The result feels both retro-inspired and distinctly contemporary.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Close-up details highlight the bathroom’s artisanal surfaces: variegated green glaze, rippled glass blocks, brushed brass hardware and the soft contours of the ceramic sink. Natural light skims across the tiles, emphasizing their depth and irregularity. A compact vignette of craftsmanship and sensorial luxury.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A moody bathroom pairs olive-green glazed tiles with a luminous glass-block wall and a freestanding stone-toned tub. Reflections ripple across glossy surfaces, turning light into ornament. The palette nods to midcentury-modern interiors, while the immersive materiality creates a cocooning, spa-like retreat within the hotel room.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

A close view of the terrace reveals bentwood-style chairs and a compact marble-topped table set for coffee against a cinematic Paris skyline. Dark balustrades heighten the contrast between foreground intimacy and distant cityscape. Even outdoor moments are treated with the hotel’s understated, residential elegance.
An open balcony door frames a private terrace overlooking Paris rooftops, extending the room outward through light and view. Heavy drapery, dark metal detailing and warm timber create a cocooning interior contrast. The scene captures La Fondation’s dialogue between urban energy and domestic retreat.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

Dining is central to La Fondation’s all-day appeal, with two distinct venues shaped by chef Thomas Rossi’s seasonal approach to contemporary French cuisine devised on a menu that revisits familiar French staples with freshness and restraint, drawing on seasonal produce in a convivial, everyday way.

Located on the ground floor, La Base reimagines the neighbourhood brasserie expressed through a warm, contemporary register. High ceilings, tan leather banquettes, paired with marble-top tables and timber-framed doors opening onto a courtyard terrace set an inviting tone, while forest-green chairs, fluted ceramics and abstract murals add rhythm and character.

On the eighth-floor, Les Ailes restaurant adopts a more elevated mood, pairing panoramic city views with olive upholstery, earthy marble, metallic accents and a large timber bas-relief. Here, a more polished menu brings refined technique and carefully sourced ingredients to modern French cooking. One level above, the rooftop bar capitalises on sweeping 360-degree vistas across Paris.

  • The street-facing terrace is framed by soft greenery, lending the façade a sense of privacy and urban calm. Slender black tables, cream banquettes and warm timber glazing create a refined outdoor setting, while the illuminated La Fondation sign reinforces the hotel’s quietly theatrical identity.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The restaurant dining room combines soaring proportions with a warm, club-like atmosphere through timber detailing, leather banquettes and abundant greenery. Teal chairs and marble tabletops sharpen the palette, while reflective pendant lights animate the vertical volume. Hospitality is staged here as both convivial and quietly theatrical.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A close-up of the restaurant banquette highlights the project’s refined material contrasts: caramel leather seating, veined marble tabletops, teal chairs and lush planting. Warm timber frames the scene, while neatly set tables suggest understated elegance and an inviting, all-day social atmosphere.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A mature indoor tree rises beside leather banquettes and marble tables, transforming the dining room into an urban winter garden. Teal chairs punctuate the earthy palette, while layered textures of bark, wood and stone enrich the composition. Nature is integrated as architecture rather than decoration.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A wider bar view emphasises layered textures and geometric order: ribbed cream wall panels, warm timber joinery, polished metal surfaces and custom stools with black footrests. Overhead shelving introduces an artful note, while the overall atmosphere feels polished, convivial and distinctly Parisian.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The bar pairs fluted timber detailing with a softly contoured stainless-steel counter, blending retro references with contemporary precision. Sculptural wooden stools repeat rhythmically across the foreground, while a floral arrangement adds softness. The palette is restrained, allowing craftsmanship and proportion to take centre stage.

    La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

Symmetrical booths line the restaurant façade, their timber shells and leather upholstery creating a sense of privacy within the open room. Large windows frame everyday Parisian street life outside, connecting the intimate interior to the city beyond. A measured interplay of cocooning comfort and urban energy.

La Base restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

A marble-topped table and olive-green banquette sit before a monumental carved timber mural, where sweeping lines and chiselled textures turn the wall into functional artwork. Sunlight grazing the surface heightens its relief, balancing decorative drama with the calm precision of the dining setting.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

Dining tables line a panoramic window overlooking Paris rooftops, turning the skyline into part of the interior composition. Olive-green seating, reflective tabletops and oversized timber pendants create a cinematic setting where urban views and crafted surfaces are given equal presence.

Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Romain Ricard.

A wider rooftop restaurant view emphasises symmetry, generous daylight and the dialogue between cityscape and interior. Long banquettes in moss-green upholstery soften the rectilinear layout, while textured wall panels and custom lighting lend depth, rhythm and a distinctly atmospheric character.

Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Romain Ricard.

  • A rooftop dining room unfolds in rich walnut tones, anchored by ochre banquettes and veined stone tables. Monumental timber pendant lights and a carved wall panel add sculptural drama, while full-height glazing floods the space with daylight. The atmosphere feels intimate despite its generous scale.

    Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • This close-up captures the tactile richness of the restaurant palette: suede-like upholstery, leather chairs, polished stone and dark timber panelling. Candlelight and glassware introduce a softer sheen, balancing the room’s weightier materials with a sense of warmth, elegance and lived-in comfort.

    Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The dining room’s dramatic verticality is highlighted by suspended timber light fixtures and oversized carved wall panels. Layered seating arrangements in warm wood and green upholstery create zones of intimacy, while a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower at left roots the scene unmistakably in Paris.

    Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Romain Ricard.

At dusk, the terrace becomes more intimate: a fire feature glows beside cocktails, palms sway against a moody sky and the Eiffel Tower rises in the distance. Curved timber chairs and pale sofas create a refined setting for evening aperitifs above the city.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

The bar area pairs polished metal cladding with timber joinery and plush green banquettes, blending industrial crispness with lounge-like comfort. A vivid red door punctuates the earthy palette with unexpected energy, revealing the designers’ playful control of colour within an otherwise restrained scheme.

Les Ailes restaurant. Photography by Romain Ricard.

The rooftop terrace pairs low, cream-upholstered seating with stone paving and sculptural timber side tables, all oriented toward expansive Paris views. Planters soften the perimeter while the Eiffel Tower anchors the horizon, transforming the lounge into an elegant urban belvedere.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

This lifestyle lounge blends retail, reading room and social space within a restrained palette of oak, cream and cognac leather. Built-in shelving and merchandise displays frame low modular seating, while the climbing wall visible beyond introduces an unexpected athletic backdrop.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

A wide view reveals the boutique as an open, multifunctional interior combining retail, lounge and social space. Built-in shelving, low leather seating and curated merchandise are arranged with domestic ease, while the climbing wall beyond adds an unexpected athletic energy to the serene setting.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

Spread across six floors, the sports club and spa deigned by Atelier MKD’s founder Marika Dru, showcases interiors that favour minimalist refinement over overt wellness tropes, using clean lines and restrained materials to create a calm, contemporary atmosphere. Social spaces such as the juice bar are warmed by timber detailing, while the fitness studios, illuminated by generous skylights, look onto the climbing wall thar rises through the building like a functional sculpture. Below ground, a 25-metre pool, hammam, sauna and treatment rooms embrace a more intimate, cocoon-like ambience geared towards restoration and retreat.

Completing La Fondation’s mixed-use brief, the workspaces comprise hybrid offices, meeting rooms and an auditorium, reinforcing the project’s central idea: a building attuned to the shifting rhythms of contemporary urban life. This civic ambition extends through a cultural programme of concerts, exhibitions, talks, themed dinners and other events, anchoring the entire project’s active participation in local life. La Fondation’s greatest success is not merely aesthetic but structural that has successfully transformed the raw pragmatism of a former car park and office block into a place genuinely embedded into Les Batignolles’ social and cultural energy.

The boutique display uses repetition and restraint to elevate branded essentials into design objects. Matte black bottles, folded garments and oak shelving create a crisp monochrome composition, softened by the warm glow of brass lighting and the natural grain of the timber backdrop.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Framed by retail shelving, the reception area becomes a carefully staged vignette where symmetry, reflection and warm materials converge. The central desk, pendant light and artwork align with almost cinematic precision, turning a functional check-in moment into an aesthetic experience.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The reception desk reads as a composed still life of oak, marble and muted colour. A graphic artwork and brass pendant add sculptural emphasis, while concealed storage and pared-back detailing underscore the hotel’s commitment to understated luxury and disciplined visual calm.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • This transitional zone balances function and display, pairing mirrored surfaces with precisely detailed shelving stocked with candles and skincare. Reflections extend the volume of the room, while the timber surround gives the otherwise utilitarian passage a crafted, hospitality-driven presence.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • An elevator portal is transformed into an architectural feature through custom oak framing, integrated shelving and a mirrored wall. Fragrance bottles and boxed products introduce a retail layer, while the contrast between brushed steel and warm timber sharpens the space’s refined material dialogue.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

A bright ground-floor boutique café combines pale floors, oak joinery and brushed metal details in a composition of understated elegance. Display shelving, a central counter and integrated retail niches blur hospitality and lifestyle, creating a lobby space that feels both curated and welcoming.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

  • The fitness studio’s storage wall combines lockers, open shelving and display niches in a seamless architectural composition. Yoga mats, towels and equipment are arranged with graphic discipline, while exposed white beams and pale timber flooring keep the atmosphere bright, calm and purposeful.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • This close-up transforms gym equipment into a curated still life. Chrome dumbbells, cork blocks, boxing gloves and a basketball sit within gridded oak shelving, where repetition, contrast and negative space blur the line between functional storage and sculptural display.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A compact refreshment station is integrated into custom oak joinery with the precision of a private residence. Shelving for towels and branded bottles, a discreet counter and a glazed door beyond demonstrate how utility is elevated through proportion, material warmth and careful detailing.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A fold-down wall bench in stained timber introduces an elegant solution for changing or resting between workouts. With its crisp geometry, polished hardware and restrained styling, the piece turns a practical necessity into a quietly refined design feature.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

The indoor pool is rendered in deep blue-green tones, with glossy tiled walls and luminous water producing a cinematic sense of depth. Minimal detailing, concealed lighting and strong reflections amplify the spa’s tranquil atmosphere, turning geometry and light into the room’s main ornament.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

  • The sauna is lined entirely in warm timber, its clean joinery and concealed lighting creating a cocoon-like atmosphere of calm precision. A glazed partition reveals the adjoining lounge beyond, adding visual depth while contrasting the heat of the cabin with the cool serenity outside.

    Photography by Romain Ricard.

  • A double treatment room is composed in soothing neutral tones, where travertine floors, ribbed columns and soft lighting establish a quietly restorative mood. Walnut massage beds and minimal furnishings keep the focus on proportion, material warmth and the sense of unhurried comfort.

    Photography by Romain Ricard.

A bright ground-floor boutique café combines pale floors, oak joinery and brushed metal details in a composition of understated elegance. Display shelving, a central counter and integrated retail niches blur hospitality and lifestyle, creating a lobby space that feels both curated and welcoming.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

Sunlight pours across the café seating area, casting graphic shadows from chrome cantilever chairs onto the pale floor. Marble café tables, built-in timber shelving and warm oak-framed doors give the room a crisp modernist clarity softened by domestic touches and fresh flowers.

Photography by Romain Ricard.

A built-in timber banquette and wall-spanning bookshelf turn this café corner into a refined reading room. Chrome cantilever chairs add a modernist counterpoint, while tulips, pastries and warm daylight soften the disciplined geometry with everyday intimacy.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

The café counter combines hospitality and retail through custom oak joinery, marble surfaces and carefully styled displays. Flowers, pastries, books and chilled bottles animate the space, while brass pendants and warm natural light reinforce its polished yet welcoming atmosphere.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Material detail takes centre stage in this vignette of the retail island, where veined stone, oak compartments and neatly stacked boxes create a tactile still life. A pedestal dish of meringues and illustrated magazines add charm without disturbing the composition’s measured order.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • A softly focused foreground of pastries and newspapers draws the eye into the café beyond, where shelves, marble tables and chrome-framed seating unfold in warm morning light. The image captures the space as both design set-piece and lived daily ritual.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • The bookshelf becomes a portrait of taste and texture, pairing richly grained oak with monochrome book covers and carefully spaced objects. The rigorous grid is softened by subtle asymmetry, revealing how styling and architecture work together to shape the room’s identity.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

  • Close-up views of the café nook reveal meticulous styling: marble tabletops, chrome-framed chairs and curated books set against rich timber shelving. A single vase of tulips introduces softness, while angled sunlight heightens the intimate, editorial quality of the compact seating area.

    Photography by Clément Gérard.

This close-up of the library wall highlights the hotel’s curatorial sensibility, where art, fashion and design titles are arranged like objects within oak shelving. In front, a marble café table with fresh tulips introduces a gentle domestic note to the graphic composition.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

The juice bar is distilled to its essentials through crisp geometry, oak cladding and pale stone surfaces. Coffee equipment, pastries and fresh flowers animate the restrained composition, while slim brass pendants and generous negative space lend the room a calm, gallery-like clarity.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

The exterior counter appears almost scenographic in late-day sun, where sharp shadows animate the pale stucco walls and stone paving. A lone white chair and takeaway cup add casual human scale, balancing the graphic presence of the branded awning above.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

Bathed in low golden light, the courtyard façade feels serene and cinematic. Cream render, cobblestone paving and bronze-framed openings are paired with a modest awning bearing the hotel’s name, conveying understated Parisian elegance with a calm, residential intimacy.

Photography by Clément Gérard.

La Fondation: A 1960s Car Park in Paris Artfully Recast as a Hotel, Wellness and Cultural Hub