The innovative and experimental approach of Studio Douze Degrés
From spaces to objects, the Parisian studio redefines the norm of design through research and collaboration, creating immersive experiences and poetic projects.
Based in a former woodworking workshop, nestled in nature on the outskirts of Paris, Douze Degrés is a studio that approaches design in an unconventional way: the practice explores contemporary themes through scenography, spaces, and objects but above all conceives each project as an opportunity to go beyond its comfort zone, as cultural, technical, and human enrichment.
The team, composed of Marin Beganton, Roman Faienza, Adrien Kihlgren, and Côme de Bourbon-Parme, thanks to their diverse backgrounds and international experiences, designs and realizes projects through spontaneous experimentation. This approach is fundamentally important because it allows them to establish an ongoing dialogue with artisans, brands, and entities even outside the design sphere.
The name of the studio, Douze Degrés, is inspired by the position of the sun between -6° and -12° below the horizon, during the so-called blue hour. This moment of transition, between day and night, reflects the studio’s method: working in thresholds, drawing inspiration from in-between moments.
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A recent example of this approach is Flare, launched in 2025 by the studio and on show at Espace Commines during the last Paris Design Week. It is a lighting design collection born from research in optics. Inspired by lighthouses, Flare transforms a simple candle into a luminous and vibrant element.
Through a slim, minimal metal support and with the help of an optical lens – precisely the Fresnel lens – the candle’s flame is captured, amplified, and projected, transforming a soft glow into a light that brings movement and emotion within the space. The lens amplifies the diffusion of candlelight, ensuring adequate illumination.
Not only experimental objects but also scenographies and spaces, such as the installation designed for the launch dinner of Musc Oli, a fragrance by Maison Caron, held at Domaine des 30 Arpents, presented by Olivia de Rothschild and produced by ANY. In the heart of the oak forest, the studio designed a floating 20-meter textile structure suspended between the trees and supported by inflatable elements.
At the center of the space, a 16-meter dining table built on site from fallen trees, covered with moss and wildflowers, displayed Caron bottles used as lanterns. During the day, the installation filtered light like a translucent vault, while at night it transformed: the inflatable elements lit up, radiating the space with soft violet hues. The studio designed a true celebration in which design, nature, and fragrance become a unique experience.
Drinking Station, originally conceived for the Cercle Festival 2024, is another experimental project by the studio that opened a new trajectory in their research on immersive installations. Revisiting the principle of fountains, Douze Degrés sought to create a functional object of monumental scale yet with a light design, a true contemporary totem. Unlike normal fountains, where the structure and system are hidden, here the system is revealed in its entirety, transforming the internal mechanics into an aesthetic element.
From this first installation came the Negroni Station, presented during Milan Design Week 2025. Inspired by the aperitivo, a typically Italian and Milanese moment of conviviality where people gather to share a drink and some snacks, the Station proposes a new way of experiencing this ritual. Instead of simply being served, guests are invited to compose their own cocktail, creating a moment of sharing around the station and a new perspective on our way of consuming.Despite the wide range of project scales, the works of Douze Degrés go beyond functionality, also suggesting new forms of interaction and rethinking the experiential dynamics of an event in a fresh and spontaneous way.
