Mathieu Lehanneur, the French designer behind the Paris Olympic torch and cauldron designs, has transformed the city’s Musée D’Orsay clock room into an Airbnb guest room. The room is available for a one-night-only Paris sleepover on 26 July, including the chance to watch the Olympic opening ceremony from the rooftop, and an exclusive tour of the art museum.
Stay overnight in the Musée D'Orsay's clock room
Mathieu Lehanneur in the space, which displays his Olympic torch design
‘I’ve crafted a unique space that is both romantic and contemporary, intimate yet sumptuous,’ says Lehanneur, who has furnished the room with his designs, including curvaceous ‘Familyscape’ sofas and ‘Trinity’ side tables, and unfurling ‘Guernica’ pendant lights that flank the bed, which appears to ‘float’ above floor.
The bed itself is set beneath the showstopper of the room, the glass and steel clock face – preserved from the museum’s former life as a railway station – through which you can enjoy spectacular (and round-the-clock) views, including towards the Sacré Coeur.
‘I wanted to combine opposites to create a place that was both intimate and monumental, historic yet firmly contemporary,’ says Lehanneur. ‘I designed the entire room around the clock; even the wood-panelled ceiling curves to follow the course of the hands.’
Wood encases the room ‘from the Versailles parquet floor to the vaulted ceiling’, creating a warm and luxurious bolthole. The lucky guest’s room-mate for the night is Lehanneur’s Olympic torch design, displayed within an illuminated alcove alongside some of his sketches.
A finely crafted leather punchbag, ‘a personal sporting touch’, and marble dumbbells are Lehanneur’s nod to the competitive goings-on getting underway outside.
‘I've always loved working on landmarks and iconic places,’ adds the designer of the project. ‘History never stands still. You must bring it to life through projects like this one.’
Following past experiential stays such as at the Barbie-themed Malibu Dreamhouse and a Seth Rogan creative retreat in LA, The Musée D’Orsay project is part of Airbnb’s new ‘Icons’ series, which includes 11 unique locations ‘hosted’ by major names in design, music, film, art, sports, and more, that will become available to book throughout the year.
The series includes a night in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, and a lap with Scuderia Ferrari ambassador driver Marc Gené; a stay in the family home of Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor in Chennai, India; and a night in a Miami gaming loft designed by TikTok star Khaby Lame. Stays will be free or under $100 per guest, states Airbnb, and 4,000 bookings will be taken throughout 2024.
Mathieu Lehanneur’s clock room at the Musée D’Orsay is available to view now on Airbnb, and a chance to book opens 21 May 2024, airbnb.com
Musée D’Orsay – the stay includes an exclusive tour
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