A pilgrimage site for contemporary art and architecture, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris – which was built during the International Exhibition of Art and Technology in 1937 – gets an update through the interior intervention of the French office Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture. The French-Lebanese architect designed the new restaurant and terrace celebrating the beauty of the raw and the monumentality of the space.

The project is divided into three acts with three chromatic intensities: the informal, the intimate and the collective. “The unfinished and raw look of this museum has always fascinated me,” Ghotmeh explains. “I have the feeling of being at home, in a parallel state to that of my birth city Beirut. We feel good in these raw spaces – they open our creativity and they set us dreaming.”

Act 1 – The Palais’ Agora. The architect calls it the “Ready-made”, a coffehouse where dining becomes performance. The space is marked by modularity, marbles and recycled plastics. The furniture delivers a 40s chromatic scheme with cream, light blue and wine seats, gray couches and olive green benches.

Act 2 – Les Grands Verres, or “back to earth”. A long bar, 18 meters long, entirely made of rammed earth. It features neutral shades, wooden chairs, and more private dark brown upholstered booths.

Act 3 – Glass House. This is the restaurant’s most intimate space, with a curvy custom-made lacquered table that sets the tone. It can gather up to twenty people and dialogues with the rest of the floor area through a frosted glass interface. The project is completed by a 200-seats terrace that overlooks the Seine river.