INTERVIEW: GUILLAUME ALAN

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Razmišljajući o pojmu luksuza u uređenju interijera zastao sam i zapitao se, što danas zapravo znači ta riječ?
Gledajući povijesno, luksuz je značio raskoš, skupocjenost, zlato, bogatstvo, materijale u enormnim količinama, a kao ogledni primjer dovoljno je uzeti bilo koji dvorac.
S godinama se značenje same te riječi dosta promijenilo; je li luksuz danas isto što je bio prije 50, 100 ili 300 godina?! Teško je reći. Mislim da je stvar vrlo individualna, a gledajući samo kulturu življenja, danas u različitim dijelovima Europe možemo primijetiti velike razlike. Minimalizam u skandinavskim interijerima, vesele boje i detalji španjolskih i portugalskih interijera ili mediteranski štih priobalnih područja Italije i Francuske karakteristike su područja, pa tako i značenja luksuza u svakoj zemlji ili teritoriju ponaosob.

Guillaume Alan francuski je arhitekt, dizajner interijera i namještaja, a njegovi interijeri pojam su novog francuskog luksuza temeljenog na jednostavnosti i čistoći s dozom estetike nekih prošlih vremena francuskog dizajna. Što mi je ispričao o sebi, svojoj dizajnerskoj estetici i luksuzu koji osobno stvara donosim vam u kratkom intervjuu na hrvatskom i engleskom jeziku u nastavku.

Sasvim privatno, Guillaume Alan.

 

You grew up in a family who is practically living architecture and design; can you tell us something more about it and do you think that it was one of the factors which drew you along this path and motivate you to open your own design studio?

I heard about architecture and design since my early age. All the discussions were around those because of the profession of my parents and of my grandmother who was an antique dealer.
Since childhood, I felt that I had something to share, a vision about architecture and design, my own vision.
O arhitekturi i dizajnu slušao sam od svoje najranije dobi. To su bile teme svih razgovora radi profesije mojih roditelja, ali i moje bake koja je bila trgovac antikvitetima.
Od djetinjstva sam osjećao da imam nešto za podijeliti, neku viziju arhitekture i dizajna, svoju vlastitu viziju.

 

Where or how did it all start? How did you fall in love with design?

I opened my own design studio in Saint-Germain-des-Près, Paris at the age of 22.
I presented my very first furniture collection in my design studio, a space that I designed. Very pure architecture with strong lines, concrete floor in opposition with classical wood panelings.
The furniture pieces were made by the best craftsmen.
Otvorio sam vlastiti dizajnerski studio u Saint-Germain-des-Près u Parizu kada sam imao 22 godine.
Svoju prvu kolekciju namještaja predstavio sam u svom studiju, prostoru koji sam osobno dizajnirao. Vrlo čista arhitektura sa strogim linijama; betonski podovi bili su u kontrastu s klasičnim drvenim zidnim panelima.
Same komade namještaja izrađivali su najbolji majstori
.

 

How would you describe your work and who or what are your greatest influences?

Timeless, calm and poetic.
France has a great history and a wonderful heritage that are always very inspiring. When you are born and grew up in a city like Paris, surrounded by beauties such as Le Louvre, le Grand Palais, Jardins du Palais Royal or Jardin des Tuileries or Versailles, you are deeply immersed and marked by the work and the art of your pairs. This is a part of me. I think that’s the reason why in my work, minimalism always meets classicism, as a new vision of minimalism always inspired by history.
Bezvremenski, smiren i poetičan.
Francuska ima sjajnu povijest i predivno nasljeđe koji su uvijek veliko nadahnuće. Kad se rodite i odrastete u gradu poput Pariza, okruženi ljepotama poput Louvrea, Grand Palaisa, parkova Jardins du Palais Royal i Jardin des Tuileries ili Versaillea, duboko ste uronjeni i obilježeni djelima i umjetnošću svojih predaka. Sve je to dio mene. Mislim da je to razlog zašto se u mom radu minimalizam uvijek susreće s klasicizmom, kao nova vizija minimalizma nadahnuta poviješću.

 

How would you describe your design philosophy and what inspires you? What drives you in your work?

We are always working around how to create emotions. Rather than being “flashy”, we tried to deliver projects based on surprise and rhythm with douceur.

All elements are visible but not in the “showing off”.

Simplicity is bold and also very complex to achieve, always a subtle alchemy between strong lines or materials throughout the space are off set by accompanying lines and textures that are soft and subtle creating a serene lightness and calm, a subtle combination between hard work and a touch of crazyness.
It’s all about restrain in architecture and elements but opulent in spirit.

Uvijek smo usmjereni na to kako stvoriti emocije. Pokušavamo isporučiti projekte koji se temelje na faktoru iznenađenja i ritmu s mekoćom i profinjenošću, a ne one koji su nakićeni.
Svi elementi su vidljivi, ali niti jedan ne iskače.
Jednostavnost zahtijeva odvažnost i teško ju je postići. Uvijek je to alkemija između snažnih linija i materijala kroz prostor koje su ublažene mekim i suptilnim linijama i teksturama i tako tvore spokojnu lakoću i smirenost, suptilnu kombinaciju napornog rada i trunke ludosti.
Sve je u suzdržanosti arhitekture i detalja, a raskošnosti u duhu.

 

Your projects are so peaceful, minimalist and monochrome, a mix of French aesthetics and Scandinavian simplicity. What would you say, where design is heading, what is the future of interiors?

Instead of the obvious wealth and far away from the trends, at Guillaume Alan’s studio, our approach of luxury occurs in the minimisation of elements, our philosophy to create calm and serenity.
With an aesthetic restraint, we believe in the essence of things, a quest for the essential.
We are always inspired by the precious gifts coming from nature and the genuine know-how.
We value authenticity.
Daleko od vidljivog bogatstva i daleko od trendova, u studiju Guillaume Alan, naš pristup luksuzu očituje se u minimiziranju elemenata, našoj filozofiji za stvaranje smirenosti i spokojstva.
Uz suzdržanu estetiku, vjerujemo u suštinu stvari –
potragu za bitnim. Uvijek smo nadahnuti dragocjenim darovima koji dolaze iz prirode i istinskim znanjem i iskustvom.
Cijenimo autentičnost.

 

In your work, what are you most proud of?

I am very grateful and proud of the relationships based on trust with my clients.
They are all extremely supportive, embracing my ideas, sometimes very challenging ideas.
This is absolutely wonderful to be able to create, to be given ‘carte blanche’ and to open the doors of imagination.
Vrlo sam zahvalan i ponosan na odnose sa svojim klijentima koji su temeljeni na povjerenju.
Svi mi pružaju veliku podršku, prihvaćaju moje ideje, ponekad i one vrlo izazovne.
Divno je kad mogu stvarati, kad dobijem apsolutnu slobodu i
mogu se prepustiti mašti
.

 

You have two studios, one in Paris and one in London. Are you planning new expansions in the future? Does having studios in different locations pose a challenge in terms of the consistency of the work?

We have a second design studio based in London since eight years and we are working on architectural and interior projects internationally.

The approach is of course different based on the past, ways of life in each country but I think our clientele come to see because we have a global approach.

We apprehend a project as a whole, creating and working on architecture, interior design and furniture, that is indeed a French exception, even today very rare, in harmony with the finest tradition of French design and “décorateurs ensembliers”.

Naš drugi studio otvoren je u Londonu već osam godina i radimo na projektima arhitekture i dizajna interijera u međunarodnom okruženju.
Pristup radu je naravno nešto drugačiji i temeljen je na prošlosti i načinu života u određenoj zemlji, ali mislim da naši klijenti dolaze upravo nama jer je naš pristup globalan.
Svaki projekt sagledavamo u cjelini kreirajući i radeći na arhitekturi i dizajnu interijera i namještaja što je svakako izuzetak u Francuskoj, rijetkost čak i danas, a opet u skladu s tradicionalnim francuskim dizajnom i dizajnom interijera.

 

Is there any special project you are working on at this moment?

They are all very special to me.
I have the luxury to be able to choose the projects I work on. I aways want to deliver the best ideas, bringing the best of creativity and not to repeat myself.
We have wonderful private places we are currently working on but we have also started some commercial projects that are very exciting for the new approach.
Meni su svi posebni.
Imam taj luksuz da mogu birati projekte na kojima radim. Uvijek želim pružiti najbolje ideje donoseći novu kreativnost, a da se pri tome ne ponavljam.
Trenutno radimo na fantastičnim privatnim projektima, ali pokrenuli smo i nekoliko komercijalnih koji su vrlo uzbudljivi i kojima pristupamo na neki nov način.

 

Could you single out one designer you appreciate the most, whose work inspires you, and why?

Jean-Michel Frank for his rigor and love of neat materials.
Jean-Michel Frank zbog svoje strogosti i ljubavi prema čistim materijalima.

 

What is your favourite design piece(s)?

It is more a favourite place: I absolutely love the ordered magnificence of the Louvre’s square courtyard, the Cour Carrée.

Also, I am very proud of our Tao armchair that I specially designed for a private project.
Inspired by the Ming period, it’s a very pure piece of furniture made in beautiful ash wood in a brushed finish handmade by the best craftsmen in France.
Its impeccable proportions are balanced with curved lines bringing douceur.

To je više omiljeno mjesto: apsolutno volim uređenu veličanstvenost trga Cour Carrée u dvorištu Louvrea.

Također, vrlo sam ponosan na našu Tao fotelju koju sam posebno dizajnirao za privatni projekt.
To je vrlo čist komad namještaja inspiriran razdobljem Ming. Ručno je izrađena od najboljih francuskih majstora u prekrasnom drvu jasena s brušenim premazom .
Njezine besprijekorne proporcije uravnotežene su zakrivljenim linijama koje donose sklad.

 

In the end, you, in three words:

Determined, demanding towards my self and my team but still a dreamer in order to create.
Odlučan, zahtjevan prema sebi i svom timu ali još uvijek sanjar u samom kreiranju.

 

Kennedy Residence by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Paris apartment by Guillaume Alan
Avenue Victor Hugo by Guillaume Alan
Avenue Victor Hugo by Guillaume Alan
Avenue Victor Hugo by Guillaume Alan
Avenue Victor Hugo by Guillaume Alan

 

photography | Matthew Donaldson
instagram | Guillaume Alan

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