Explore Philippe Starck's newest, most fantastical hotel creation yet
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Maison Heler Metz, a new addition to Metz's historic cityscape, is a striking blend of brutalist architecture and classical influences. Designed by renowned designer Philippe Starck, this nine-story hotel is located at 31 Rue Jacques Chirac, 57000 Metz, France, and is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.
The design of Maison Heler Metz is inspired by a fictional tale written by Starck, "The Meticulous Life of Manfred Heler." In this story, a character named Manfred Heler inherits a 19th-century Lorraine house that, during a mysterious earthquake, is lifted vertically from the earth. This concept informs the hotel's striking design: a towering brutalist base topped with a perfectly preserved 19th-century house, creating a dramatic visual where the traditional building appears to float above the modern structure.
The design plays on the idea of "uprooted roots" and the layered historical identities of the Lorraine region. Starck's narrative and architectural approach fuse storytelling with form, making the hotel both a symbol of regional heritage and a surreal architectural statement. Warm, tactile details such as natural wood and leather furniture, terracotta tiles, stacked logs, and central columns wrapped in deep green, embossed leather, add to the hotel's inviting atmosphere.
The ninth floor of Maison Heler Metz houses the hotel's restaurant, La Maison de Manfred. With its 19 stained glass windows, including a monumental piece created by Ara Starck, the dining room is bathed in a cathedral-like wash of color, offering a unique dining experience.
Maison Heler Metz joins a city already dense with Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau influences. However, the hotel's design, with its towering brutalist base and 19th-century Lorraine house, does not feel out of place. Instead, it adds a modern twist to the city's rich architectural history.
Philippe Starck is known for his playfully subversive ideas that harmonize form and function. His work on Maison Heler Metz demonstrates this perfectly, creating a hotel that challenges conventional architectural logic while remaining rooted in its historical context.
In summary, Maison Heler Metz is a blend of brutalism and historical architecture, inspired by a fictional story of a house lifted from the earth, expressing themes of floating, uprooting, and historical layering. It is a must-visit for anyone interested in modern architecture and French history.
In the spirit of Philippe Starck's storytelling, the home-and-garden aesthetic is woven into Maison Heler Metz, with warm, tactile details such as terracotta tiles, stacked logs, and natural wood furniture evoking a cozy, inviting lifestyle.
The hotel's ninth floor restaurant, La Maison de Manfred, showcases a home-and-garden ambiance with its 19 stained glass windows, creating a unique dining setting that harmonizes form and function, much like Starck's playfully subversive approach.
