Cristiano Benzoni, democratic elite
Published on 1 December 2023
He is the founder, with Sophie Thuillier, of Studio REV in Paris. The architecture studio carries out various projects for luxury, collective housing or tertiary developments. In 2022, the agency signed the redevelopment of the Carita Beauty House – just honoured at the Paris Shop & Design awards –, rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, after having designed the Louis Vuitton boutique on the Champs-Elysées and that of Ginza in Tokyo. For Maison&Objet, the studio designs the scenography of the Hospitality Lab space — a re-invigorated bond between a hotelier and their guest.
Cristiano Benzoni and Sophie Thuillier have created an avant-garde laboratory for Retail and Hospitality. Each visitor will be a guest invited to celebrate the joy of living around a gigantic table where the studio’s vision of generosity, gluttony and a taste for spectacular will be showcased. On the tabletop, various “objects of desire” that make everyday life more beautiful will be enhanced by plays of light and transparencies in a poetic-like staging, both high-tech and very “French savoir-vivre.”
What principles is your architecture based on?
Whether a commercial building, housing, a head office or a hotel, the principle that guides us is that of the elite for all. What is exceptional with social housing, for example, is the non-repetition of models, which allow residents to experience a unique and different home. We are not obsessed with decorating a particular style. We’d much rather be fair about the cultural and geographical context and what our architecture will be used for.
What are the areas of innovation today?
Observing our contemporaries, we notice the concept much in favour remains one of a stable, steady and reassuring present, rooted in the past, rather than the desire for a bright future. Throughout the 70s, the opposite phenomenon occurred: innovation always rhymed with futurism. Based on this observation, we believe in timelessness, naturalness, and the durability of something suspended in time and freed from trends.
What about hospitality?
In the same way, today, we seek the reassurance of an eternal past, which makes us less fearful of the future. Hotels are significant public places where functions mix. Technology and digital tools that make life easier are present. Ventilation, light, and energy consumption are controlled, but nothing is visible. The setting feels like a warm embrace. We inhabit and re-enact the legend of the place. We rely on its elements of memory.
What is your vision of the contemporary workspace?
The tertiary sector is going through a crisis because, with teleworking, employees are only there three days a week and need help creating connections. We are here to provoke new encounters. We, at the studio, work hard while sharing a real friendship. We are increasing the number of cafeterias and terraces. We first have to convince people to come to work, so we create appealing spaces that suit them. Our idealised goal would be for places to live and work to offer the same level of privilege, for example, the feeling of being able to choose a private or shared space, depending on your mood.
How do you adapt to ecological constraints?
We systematically adopt a recycling approach with our partners. For example, demolition waste is reused with great discipline. We have banned unrecycled plastic and prioritise using natural materials such as wool, stone, and wood.
The round tables at the Hospitality Lab
A series of 4 conversations with key players from the Hospitality Lab at the Maison&Objet fair in 2024
Around a monumental and sensitive table in this pop-up space designed by Studio Rev, designers will cross paths, meet, and exchange ideas on subjects that blend design with hospitality. These open and participatory discussions will be hosted by Boris Coridian (Les Digitalistes).
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18TH at 11:30 a.m. (45 min.)
PAIRING #01
Is the sense of smell the future of (good) taste?
A conversation on the role of smell in the world of hospitality. Before we even see them, we "sense" things...In a very concrete manner, in terms of smell, but also more emotionally. What place does the sense of smell hold within the contemporary hospitality experience? How does one create a signature scent within a hospitality venue?
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18TH at 2:30 p.m. (45 min.)
PAIRING #02
Does taste have a design?
At a time when gastronomy is calling for a return to fundamentals - seasonal factors, exemplary produce -, the focus is now on tableware to stir our imaginations and prompt new habits. There are now countless collaborations between ceramic artists and chefs. And now, object designers are influencing the cuisine of great chefs. And clay is even finding its place again in the kitchen and the world of wines, as an essential partner.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH at 11:30 a.m. (45 min.)
PAIRING #03
How has gastronomy become the main ingredient in the world of lifestyle?
A conversation on the key role played by the rules of gastronomy in the overall lifestyle world (design, beauty, architecture, etc.). Food is everywhere and resonates across every medium of expression in hospitality. It offers a world that inspires trust and respect from consumers. But how do you succeed in making a successful pairing, with finesse?
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19TH at 2:30 p.m. (45 min.)
PAIRING #04
Why do objects embody our need for NON-virtual intelligence?
No amount of bytes can replace the rugged feel of an object in human hands. At a time when AI is making spectacular inroads into the real world, the world of objects reminds us of the importance of texture and contact. But these objects still must be capable of eliciting powerful emotions.