An Italian architect with a firm in Paris, Casiraghi has a wealth of experience, which includes work at Dominique Perrault and Dimorestudio and numerous apartments in Milan, Venice and Paris, as well as the renowned Cire Trudon handmade candle boutique in New York.
The aim for Le Café de L’Esplanade was to evoke, with the décor, colors and materials, a journey through time across the continents. The bright green of the elegant velvet armchairs and the refined burgundy chosen for the walls are reflected in numerous mirrors, adding warmth to the atmosphere of the café. The original project by architect and decorator Jacques Garcia included a panoramic restaurant inside a Napoleonic weapons room. The rhythmic arches and guns aimed at the ceiling create a direct link with the history of the building, whose ground floor was home to a military canteen in the early 19th century.
Today it is still frequented by influential cultural and political figures and by a Parisian and international clientele.
The decorations and character of the place have been enhanced by Casiraghi’s interventions, which introduce gilded surfaces, alabaster lamps created by Pierre Chareau and suspended oriental lanterns, creating an interesting contrast with the café’s décor. For a more intimate, mysterious atmosphere, you can choose Le Petit Salon with its beige fabrics, black walls, vintage ’50s lamps and a ’20s screen with Asian designs, custom-made by Pierre Frey.
