Hotel and gallery of art, fashion and design: SO/ Paris is a magnificent fragment of the city
Rising in the very heart of the French capital, SO/ Paris is a microcosm of the city’s artistic and architectural heritage, its avant-garde design, and the contemporary pulse of fashion.
SO/ Paris is one of the city’s most beloved hotels among pop stars, style icons, artists, and actors, who affectionately call this immense property their “Parisian home.” Occupying the top nine floors of one of the tallest buildings in the heart of Paris, SO/ Paris offers an unparalleled panoramic view of the city’s most iconic landmarks — from Sacré-Cœur to the Eiffel Tower, from Notre-Dame to the French National Guard headquarters. It’s fair to say that SO/ Paris truly stands at the very center of the French capital.
Set on the banks of the Seine, the hotel is surrounded by some of Paris’s most vibrant neighborhoods and landmarks: the ultra-chic Marais and Bastille districts, the Arab World Institute, the dynamic Left Bank, and a kilometer away—nothing less than Notre-Dame itself. Yet, calling SO/ Paris simply a (luxury) hotel would be an understatement, or at least an incomplete way to describe a place with such a complex and surprising soul.
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Conceived first and foremost as a gallery of art, fashion, and design, SO/ Paris—like its sister properties in some of the world’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities—stands out in the boutique hotel scene for its creative, multidisciplinary approach to luxury. Stepping inside SO/ Paris feels a bit like continuing a dreamy stroll through the city itself: every detail of the hotel evokes its Haussmannian architecture, its immense artistic heritage, the couture elegance of Parisian fashion, and its avant-garde design spirit. These references become instantly apparent upon entering the hotel’s magnificent lobby.
Designed by the renowned architecture and interior design firm RDAI, the lobby—with its grand colonnade—resembles a futuristic temple. “We drew our inspiration from the archives of Paris, the geography of Île Louviers and the city’s roots to design this universal and timeless symbol — a drop of water rippling into infinite circles. At SO/ Paris, concentric circles, ricochets, vibrations and good vibes emanate throughout the décor,” explains Denis Montel, architect and co-director of RDAI alongside Julia Capp. Also responsible for designing the hotel’s 162 guest rooms, the RDAI team favored fine materials, warm lighting, welcoming colors, and soft forms to create spaces that reflect the atmosphere of Paris — yet shield guests from its frenetic rhythm.
Hence, design, architecture, fashion, art, and hospitality converge right from the very first space you encounter. In the lobby, staff dressed in bespoke uniforms by celebrated designer Guillaume Henry, Artistic Director of Patou – one of SO/ Paris’ many collaborations with the world of fashion – greet guests amid a dramatic white colonnade that leads to one of the hotel’s most striking artworks: Le Phare de Paris by Franco-Algerian artist Neil Beloufa — a colorful resin sculpture whose appearance shifts with the viewer’s perspective and the play of light, giving the space a sense of perpetual transformation.
Once again designed by RDAI, the hotel’s rooms and suites extend this refined spirit, showcasing sophisticated design and meticulous attention to detail. Warm, enveloping tones — inspired by the brick and terracotta rooftops of Paris — are paired with deep shades of blue, creating a welcoming and intimate atmosphere.
The kaleidoscopic works of Thomas Fougeirol bring an art gallery dimension even into these private spaces: 113 unique photograms and five photomontages inspired by the artist’s strolls along the Seine, from the Sully-Morland neighborhood to the Trocadéro. Romantic views over the Parisian rooftops, parquet floors, bespoke sofas, Fritz Hansen armchairs, and cushions inspired by the works of Sonia Delaunay — evoking the gentle motion of water — complete an environment where every detail has been carefully considered.
Every corner of these rooms and suites reminds us that it is, indeed, difficult to define SO/ Paris as just a luxury hotel. Climbing up to the 15th and 16th floors, we realize how this “gallery of art and design” becomes a breathtaking frame of its own city. These top two floors host three spaces that seem to defy gravity, floating gracefully above Paris: the Bonnie Restaurant, Bonnie Bar, and Bonnie Club. Designed by interior designer Jordane Arrivetz, these three public venues are the result of a collective creative effort that also involved Olafur Eliasson & Studio Other Spaces, who helped blur the boundaries between interior and exterior.
This illusion is made possible by the permanent installation The Seeing City by Olafur Eliasson & Studio Other Spaces — a mesmerizing play of mirrors and reflections that duplicate, invert, and fragment the urban landscape. At Bonnie Restaurant, located on the 15th floor, a large horizontal mirror placed outside doubles the surrounding panorama, inverting the viewer’s perception.
The glass doors extend this play of reflection and projection into the restaurant’s interior, where décor pays homage to the sounds and spirit of the 1960s. “Bonnie’s decorations are the result of a shared, spontaneous collaboration. The 1960s, when the building was constructed, inspired the story. It was a time of women’s glory and emancipation, and an echo of Cardin’s style — his boundless love for curves, the charm of transparency, and a desire for the future,” explains interior designer Jordane Arrivetz.
On the 16th floor, where the Bonnie Bar & Club is located, The Seeing City artwork takes on a new form: a series of kaleidoscopic boxes on the façade reflect fragmented images of the sky. Like Neil Beloufa’s sculpture in the lobby, this work shifts with its surroundings, though here, the transformations are even more striking, shaped by the changing weather. In the Bonnie Bar & Club, every detail contributes to the story. Stripes of color and deep midnight-blue carpeting evoke the Seine at night, while the bar’s black stone and marble surfaces reflect the building’s refined modernity.
Next to the bar, the club recalls the warm tones of the guest rooms, with clay-colored sofas and carpeting. Here, too, reflections play a leading role in chrome tables and a gleaming glass bar counter. From the ground floor to its panoramic top level, SO/ Paris captures the very soul of the city: vibrant, visionary, elegant, and inspiring beyond imagination.
