Famous interior designers: Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck

Philippe Starck is a French designer and architect with thousands of implementations to his credit – from interior design to household items, yachts and watches.

Born in Paris in 1949 and influenced by his father, who worked as an aerospace engineer, Philippe Starck enrolled at the École Nissim de Camondo. In 1968, he founded his first company producing inflatable objects. In his twenties, Starck became the artistic director of Pierre Cardin, and in the 1970s. he has already designed the interiors of Parisian nightclubs, including La Main Bleue (1976) and the Les Bains-Douches hotel (1978).

Starck first gained international attention in the early 1980s when he was commissioned to renovate private apartments in the Elysee Palace for French President François Mitterrand. Then he designed the interior of the restaurant, among others for Café Costes (1984) in Paris, Manin (1985) in Tokyo, Theatron (1985) in Mexico City and Teatriz (1990) in Madrid. Starck was also responsible for the interior design of the Royalton and Paramount hotels (1988 and 1990) in New York, which later inspired hotels around the world to seek his services. In the course of these various commissions, however, he did not like one separate aesthetic. Rather, it suited the needs of an individual client, whether it was the conservative nature of state apartments or the more extravagant style of a trendy nightclub. Even so, some persistent preferences developed in Starck’s work, such as fluid, organic forms and the inclusion of some subtle, funny details. For example, at the Delano Hotel (1995) in the South Beach area of Miami Beach, Florida, each room had a metal apple holder attached to the wall, engraved with the words “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” .

Philipp Starck’s motto is “Good First, Then Beauty”

Juicy Salif

The citrus juicer, simple in form, is today considered an icon of design. Starck in the late 1980s. he sent his design by letter to Alberto Alessi, the director of the Italian brand of the same name, and already in 1990 the product appeared on the market, soon to become the most recognizable product of the Alessi brand. It is made of die-cast aluminum and is mounted on long legs, 29 centimeters high.

Mama Shelter

The interior of the French hotel chain Mama Shelter is a famous project by Philipp Starck.

“Mama Shelter is more than a hotel. It is a place to live, celebrate and meet. Original conference spaces are spaces that adapt to your needs, contributing to unforgettable and unique events.”