From a labyrinth at Hôtel de la Marine to coral sculptures at the Colonne de Juillet at the Place de la Bastille, Paris Design Week 2025 transforms historic landmarks into contemporary canvases.
September 4 to 13, 2025—The city opened its doors to Paris Design Week, transforming the entire metropolis into an open-air gallery. Now in its 15th edition, the program unfolds through installations, exhibitions, and immersive experiences that push the boundaries of contemporary design, while the Design Week Factory spotlights emerging talent and new trends.
This year’s edition included a curated city tour that brought fresh perspectives to some of Paris’ most iconic landmarks. From a labyrinth installation at the Hôtel de la Marine to the sculptural transformation of the Colonne de Juillet at Place de la Bastille, visitors can experience firsthand how visionary design can bridge the past, present, and the future, reimagining heritage spaces through innovation and creativity.
Continue reading below for the tour’s highlights:
Hôtel de la Marine: Getting Lost in a Labyrinth of Transformation
Opening the tour was Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau’s first solo exhibition, Le Labyrinth, sprawled across the Hôtel de la Marine. In partnership with Le Bon Coin, it is a curated medley that weaves together furniture, fashion, painting, and sculptural objects, unfolding in three acts across three spaces of the landmark. It begins in the main courtyard with a literal maze, then leads visitors through the ornate salons before concluding in the loggia overlooking Place de la Concorde, creating a journey that merges heritage with contemporary design and expression.
“I kept asking myself: what does transformation mean for Parisians today? For me, the labyrinth is both literal and symbolic, a place where you wander and move towards diversity in design,” Pradier-Jeauneau shared before encouraging guests to “lose themselves” in the labyrinth.
He framed the installation not only as a passage through space but as an exploration of ever-evolving Parisian design.
The collaborations are plenty, underscoring the richness of the project. Visitors encounter fashion pieces curated by Lucien Pagès, striking photographs by Changki Chung, and abstract paintings by Anaïs Vindel, statues by Atelier Lorenzi that were draped by fabric from Élitis, among others–each contribution adding another layer to the narrative.
Hôtel de Soubise: 577 Chairs, 577 Voices
At the Hôtel de Soubise, the spotlight was on 577 chaises, an exhibition by Studio 5.5 in collaboration with Le Festival du Monde and Le Bon Coin. The studio’s cofounders, Claire Renard and Jean-Sébastien Blanc, sourced second-hand wooden chairs, which they then repainted and labeled with words that would only make one pause and reflect: Promesse next to Folie, Mariage right beside PACS, and so on. It is powerful and straight to the point.
“Why 577? Well, it’s the number of chairs at the Assemblée Nationale,” explained Renard. “We wanted to defend freedom of expression, and for each chair to stand for individuality. No two are alike.”
The project extends beyond the exhibition walls: the chairs are up for auction starting at 100€ on Drouot’s website, with bidding open until September 18.
Hôtel de Sully: Conversations in Scent and Craft
Hôtel de Sully became the stage for two complementary installations, each engaging visitors’ senses in different ways.
In their installation titled Folie, designer Lucas Huillet and perfumer Alexandre Helwani tease our sense of smell with an olfactory experience that is dedicated to mental health. Two sofas, positioned at opposite ends, encourage visitors to share and reflect without judgement, “a bit like your psychologist’s office,” noted Huillet during the tour. Suspended around them are colorful fabric flags that are scented with fragrances made with the help of Amandine Clerc-Marie, lead perfumer at dsm-firmenich.
Inside the Orangerie at Hotel the Sully are creations by YMER&MALTA, which offer a different perspective. The studio, which prides itself on blending traditional French techniques with 21st century innovation, offers pieces that are made with longevity in mind. Using rigorous materials such as wood and steel, items such as their leather stools and striking marble clocks spoke of durability and material integrity.
Maison Victor Hugo: Romance in Introspection
In the garden of Maison Victor Hugo, interior designer Sandra Benhamou created Les Toiles et Les Fleurs, a contemplative retreat designed for reflection and meditation. The space unfolds with linen textiles by Maison Métaphores, alongside books and personal objects from the designer. A chaise longue invites guests to linger, a chessboard is free to use, and photographs encourage quiet introspection in the very place where Victor Hugo himself might once have done the same.
Place de la Bastille: Liberty Woven in Color
Towards the end of the tour, the focus was on one of Paris’s most symbolic monuments, the Colonne de Juillet in Place de la Bastille. Here, textile artist Aude Franjou unveiled Coraux de la Liberté, an installation that embodied freedom, courage, and revolution.
Upon entering the Colonne, one is welcomed by handwoven coral-like forms that cling to the column’s interior. On the lower ground, these linen sculptures are created in immaculate white, eventually spilling onto the upper staircase in bursts of vivid pinks and oranges. This was done to signify the transformation from erasure to revival. The overall effect of the creations is deeply moving, adding vitality to the base of the column.
Florence Guillier-Bernard, founder of gallery Maison Parisienne, shared Franjou’s sentiments that Colonne de Juillet was a canvas to express the liberty of creation. The installation underscored the spirit of Paris Design Week itself: a modern city where freedom is continually reimagined through design.
