Patrick Jouin was born in Nantes in 1967 and graduated from the Ensci-Les Ateliers school in 1992. He founded his design, architecture, and urban planning studio in 1998. He has achieved international prominence through his long collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse. For Ducasse, Jouin has designed interior architecture and furniture for numerous establishments, as well as a line of cookware produced by Alessi. Today, he and his business partner, architect Sanjit Manku, work in various areas, including residential, Ho.Re.Ca., retail, workplaces, and service spaces, such as Gare Montparnasse in Paris. This variety has led him to develop a precise, analytical approach to design.
How is the way we experience spaces changing? How does design accompany this evolution?
The boundaries between between office, hospitality, and home spaces are increasingly blurred. Nowadays we work and/or relax practically everywhere. Therefore, designers must create objects capable of crossing multiple universes. In parallel, I also notice a growing interest in the origins of designs and products. It’s a cultural discourse; we’re gradually leaving behind a world where we don’t know where things come from.
Does the public really have this level of expertise?
I think it’s somewhat perceptible when you see something done in France or Italy, for example. It’s a different idea of comfort. It is also knowing how to combine industry and craftsmanship – two different areas of expertise that nevertheless meet. This is one of the keys to Italian success. I would call it a cultural relationship with comfort, which I find very interesting.
What sets Italy apart from other European countries?
Italy has a unique alignment of culture, industry, and risk-taking. Companies are not afraid of designers. Few countries, if any, have grasped this concept on a collective scale. In France, for example, we have great expertise in luxury goods. We express our modernity through highly technical artifacts, such as trains, cars, and bridges. However, when it comes to furniture, we are more traditional. But this is changing. For instance, our parents are living longer, so we no longer inherit their furniture when we buy a house. We go to Ikea or similar stores, which have introduced the French to modern design. The big names – for example, Louis Vuitton, with whom we collaborated on their new home collection – are investing in this area.
I think this is the main difference between Europe and Asia.
The approach is different and based on the pleasure of living. Hedonism is prevalent in our society, and France is the world champion in this regard. This translates into a desire to make every moment of life beautiful, which then becomes a project for family and social life. I think the relationship with family is important and closely related to the relationship with home. Perhaps the strength of Italian design stems from the Italian concept of family.
Among your 2025 projects is a dining chair (Opale, for Pedrali) that seems to embody the concept of ‘general beauty.’ Is that so?
Eleven years have passed since we designed the Ester armchair, which has evolved into a full line for Pedrali. The time had come to tell a new story: a seat that combined a prominently featured wooden element with a foam-filled textile part. True comfort is often heavy; it’s difficult to be light and comfortable at the same time. That’s why I designed Opale with a subtle handle that makes it easier for waiters to seat guests in restaurants, turning the act of seating someone into a small elegant ritual. For me, the starting point of design is understanding how an object will be used. Designing a gesture means designing life. That is the most interesting aspect of my craft.
