20.09.23 in ambassadeurs
rodolphe parente
Rodophe Parente is an interior architect and designer. he collaborated with Andrée Putman in Paris before creating his own studio dedicated to interior design and the creation of furniture pieces.
If you had to talk about yourself in a few words, what would you say?
This is a question that I always find quite difficult to answer… but in a few words, I would say that I am quite a greedy boy and curious about everything. the way I look at life is without preconceptions about things.
I embrace life in a fairly transversal way, everything interests me. my curiosity is quite overwhelming, beyond my background, my environment or my activity. and it's true that I love people, their history, their lives. I really thrive on all that. I think it makes me an empathetic person, too.
have design and architecture always been obvious to you? a few words about your journey?
the construction and architecture professions have always been ingrained in me. I come from a world of craftsmen and I have always been extremely curious about how to build things and how to shape them. Already in college, at a very young age, I was drawing houses. I was making plans. I imagined contemporary houses. my father had a construction company and hosted architects and contractors for buildings, so I listened in on the conversations. I remember that I stayed for hours at the aperitif to follow the discussions when they talked about construction. I was nourished by this imagination and I told myself that I too, one day, would build houses!
I have always loved materials, concrete, metal, and understanding how reinforced concrete is made. but I remember that very early on, I spent hours in my father's warehouse trying to make sculptures with some sort of scrap metal. the expressiveness of materials has always interested me.
Initially, I followed a scientific course, without much conviction, then I went to fine arts. I don't even know how my parents were able to accept that, but what is certain is that I immediately felt aligned with myself when I found myself in this creative universe, once again very transversal. .
how would you describe your inspiration?
I think that my inspiration has, above all, contextualized writing. What I mean by “contextual” is that each project is the response to a problem. I hate this idea of having a style or repeating codes. it is really the personality and the lives of the people which will create this context and which will ultimately inspire a response, and therefore the basis of an entire project.
in any case, what really inspires me today, once again, is people's lives, their daily lives, or their way of life. my job means that we are a bit of a radiologist for a moment in life. we freeze things at a precise moment which reflects a way of living. in a kitchen for example, we all use it differently. and it's the same for everything: the way of going to bed, the way of using a bathroom... these are rituals, gestures which are intimate and which are very specific. What interests me is providing this level of personalized detail.
in my agency, we respond precisely to a demand which follows a well-defined lifestyle close to the tastes of clients. Besides, I hate this notion of being the arbiter of good or bad taste.
If you had to talk about yourself in a few words, what would you say?
This is a question that I always find quite difficult to answer… but in a few words, I would say that I am quite a greedy boy and curious about everything. the way I look at life is without preconceptions about things.
I embrace life in a fairly transversal way, everything interests me. my curiosity is quite overwhelming, beyond my background, my environment or my activity. and it's true that I love people, their history, their lives. I really thrive on all that. I think it makes me an empathetic person, too.
have design and architecture always been obvious to you? a few words about your journey?
the construction and architecture professions have always been ingrained in me. I come from a world of craftsmen and I have always been extremely curious about how to build things and how to shape them. Already in college, at a very young age, I was drawing houses. I was making plans. I imagined contemporary houses. my father had a construction company and hosted architects and contractors for buildings, so I listened in on the conversations. I remember that I stayed for hours at the aperitif to follow the discussions when they talked about construction. I was nourished by this imagination and I told myself that I too, one day, would build houses!
I have always loved materials, concrete, metal, and understanding how reinforced concrete is made. but I remember that very early on, I spent hours in my father's warehouse trying to make sculptures with some sort of scrap metal. the expressiveness of materials has always interested me.
Initially, I followed a scientific course, without much conviction, then I went to fine arts. I don't even know how my parents were able to accept that, but what is certain is that I immediately felt aligned with myself when I found myself in this creative universe, once again very transversal. .
how would you describe your inspiration?
I think that my inspiration has, above all, contextualized writing. What I mean by “contextual” is that each project is the response to a problem. I hate this idea of having a style or repeating codes. it is really the personality and the lives of the people which will create this context and which will ultimately inspire a response, and therefore the basis of an entire project.
in any case, what really inspires me today, once again, is people's lives, their daily lives, or their way of life. my job means that we are a bit of a radiologist for a moment in life. we freeze things at a precise moment which reflects a way of living. in a kitchen for example, we all use it differently. and it's the same for everything: the way of going to bed, the way of using a bathroom... these are rituals, gestures which are intimate and which are very specific. What interests me is providing this level of personalized detail.
in my agency, we respond precisely to a demand which follows a well-defined lifestyle close to the tastes of clients. Besides, I hate this notion of being the arbiter of good or bad taste.
“The construction and architecture professions have always been ingrained in me. I come from a world of craftsmen and I have always been extremely curious about how to build things and how to shape them. »
Who are the people or projects that, according to you, constitute references?
I have always been a big fan of Annie Ernaux, and I find it great what is happening to her at the moment with the Nobel Prize for Literature. I was talking about x-rays earlier, and she still wrote a sublime book where she takes a look at the decades of a woman who spans the ages. In this book which scans this life there is a form of hindsight, of mise en abyme of a life. in general, writers inspire me a lot. I love the storytelling of a lot of them. There is Nicolas Mathieu at the moment who I particularly like. or Alberto Moravia, who was a great Italian writer.
I draw inspiration more from literature than from the world of design or architecture. I don't necessarily look at what my colleagues are doing. I respond once again with my own cultural references.
What would you like people to say about you or your work years from now?
I like that my work can be said to be invisible. I actually like the idea that you can't directly see my intervention on a project. This is ultimately the most difficult thing to achieve, to ensure that the architect's work is not felt. to say to oneself that things are ultimately obvious in this or that interior. it's the best way to not get tired of things, for things to remain sustainable and for there to be this idea of taste more than style.
What compliment means the most to you about your work as an architect?
the best compliment, once again, is to disappear. it's probably very paradoxical, but it's a reality: that we say that the project is no longer even one, that's what's beautiful.
the most beautiful response, in fact, is to have been able to enter into the heritage of the intimate and to have responded with so much accuracy and precision that in the end there is evidence in the realization of the project, which corresponds to the person.
favorite themes in your creative approach?
I like the idea of a dialogue between textures and a mixture between rich and poorer materials. I like to add detail to things, sometimes too much. the fact that there is a certain singularity in my creative approach drives me. I am inspired by contemporary art and certain elements in creation to develop them so that it becomes an architectural code. once again, my approach is very transversal. I can look at a Jean Paul Gaultier dress and find it inspiring enough to make a drawing of a wall, for example. I like to move and mix all these worlds a little and that questions my practice, in any case.
I have always been a big fan of Annie Ernaux, and I find it great what is happening to her at the moment with the Nobel Prize for Literature. I was talking about x-rays earlier, and she still wrote a sublime book where she takes a look at the decades of a woman who spans the ages. In this book which scans this life there is a form of hindsight, of mise en abyme of a life. in general, writers inspire me a lot. I love the storytelling of a lot of them. There is Nicolas Mathieu at the moment who I particularly like. or Alberto Moravia, who was a great Italian writer.
I draw inspiration more from literature than from the world of design or architecture. I don't necessarily look at what my colleagues are doing. I respond once again with my own cultural references.
What would you like people to say about you or your work years from now?
I like that my work can be said to be invisible. I actually like the idea that you can't directly see my intervention on a project. This is ultimately the most difficult thing to achieve, to ensure that the architect's work is not felt. to say to oneself that things are ultimately obvious in this or that interior. it's the best way to not get tired of things, for things to remain sustainable and for there to be this idea of taste more than style.
What compliment means the most to you about your work as an architect?
the best compliment, once again, is to disappear. it's probably very paradoxical, but it's a reality: that we say that the project is no longer even one, that's what's beautiful.
the most beautiful response, in fact, is to have been able to enter into the heritage of the intimate and to have responded with so much accuracy and precision that in the end there is evidence in the realization of the project, which corresponds to the person.
favorite themes in your creative approach?
I like the idea of a dialogue between textures and a mixture between rich and poorer materials. I like to add detail to things, sometimes too much. the fact that there is a certain singularity in my creative approach drives me. I am inspired by contemporary art and certain elements in creation to develop them so that it becomes an architectural code. once again, my approach is very transversal. I can look at a Jean Paul Gaultier dress and find it inspiring enough to make a drawing of a wall, for example. I like to move and mix all these worlds a little and that questions my practice, in any case.
“my creative approach is very transversal. I can look at a designer's dress and find it inspiring enough to make a drawing of it for a wall, for example. I like to move and mix all the worlds a little. »
what are your favorite materials, shapes or patterns?
I'm more of a rationalist, so I like tight lines. I like that there is quite composed writing, too. in architecture, I attach a lot of importance to graphics. In terms of materials, as I said earlier, I really like very expressive materials, like raw concrete, for example. I always find it very interesting to combine them with more delicate materials, like bronze. It’s a super strong dialogue.
your biggest challenge achieved or to be achieved?
the real challenge of my practice is, despite everything, not to forget myself through this diversity. to know who we really are in this profession despite the very multiple faces that I can offer in my projects. this is not obvious. it really requires reinventing yourself all the time, finding your way, being aligned with yourself and your thoughts, and being aligned with the type of project you can deliver. that's the real challenge.
If you weren't an architect, what job would you do?
pastry chef! there is a real link with design in pastry. we find this notion of repetition and form. it is a profession which speaks of the putting into production of a form, of a creation and the repetition of this form.
I could have said pizza maker, it's the same thing ultimately, and it's perhaps closer to my Italian origins! ;)
I'm more of a rationalist, so I like tight lines. I like that there is quite composed writing, too. in architecture, I attach a lot of importance to graphics. In terms of materials, as I said earlier, I really like very expressive materials, like raw concrete, for example. I always find it very interesting to combine them with more delicate materials, like bronze. It’s a super strong dialogue.
your biggest challenge achieved or to be achieved?
the real challenge of my practice is, despite everything, not to forget myself through this diversity. to know who we really are in this profession despite the very multiple faces that I can offer in my projects. this is not obvious. it really requires reinventing yourself all the time, finding your way, being aligned with yourself and your thoughts, and being aligned with the type of project you can deliver. that's the real challenge.
If you weren't an architect, what job would you do?
pastry chef! there is a real link with design in pastry. we find this notion of repetition and form. it is a profession which speaks of the putting into production of a form, of a creation and the repetition of this form.
I could have said pizza maker, it's the same thing ultimately, and it's perhaps closer to my Italian origins! ;)
“I always try to give a gift that matches a personality. undoubtedly le gramme jewelry is a perfect gift, right? I'm sure I can find a different creation for each person! »
What is the city that inspires you or resembles you?
This is probably not the most original answer, but I would say Paris. I feel very good in this city. I love the diversity of the architecture, I love the diversity of the people, I love the energy of this city. it's really a city of your own, it's not a museum city, it's a city that is incredibly rich. Paris is a city full of diverse artistic movements and filled with boundless energy, with a lot of different professions and worlds.
What is the gift you would like to receive soon?
I would love to be given some Hoffmann silverware! very beautiful, very elegant. These are really very graphic pieces, made from a silver bangle. it is of pure and timeless beauty, of rare simplicity.
and what gift do you give to someone you love?
I believe there is no recipe for gifts. I always try to give a gift that matches a personality. undoubtedly le gramme jewelry is a perfect gift, right? I'm sure I can find a different creation for each person!
Finally, what do le gramme's creations inspire you?
with le gramme creations, there is a form of taut and timeless line, which works with all contexts, both a very smart and relaxed lifestyle! I find that there is a writing that is quite universal and at the same time contemporary. It works well with these very expressive jewelry. le gramme is a brand which is open in any case, everyone can find the object that corresponds to them.
and if you had to imagine an interior on le gramme, what would it be like?
this would be a fairly powdery interior, probably extremely absorbent, almost padded. I see something close to writing like that of the Paulin project at the Élysée, very enveloping and gentle. one could imagine a form of farandole of jewels per gram in the middle of this padded interior. there would be no color, or very light, almost bland. It would be interesting to play the dialogue between cold materials like metal and warmer fabrics, natural materials. the notion of reflections, finishes and textures would be valued. and a bit like the rounded shape of the ribbon bracelets, we wouldn't feel the edges in this interior.
This is probably not the most original answer, but I would say Paris. I feel very good in this city. I love the diversity of the architecture, I love the diversity of the people, I love the energy of this city. it's really a city of your own, it's not a museum city, it's a city that is incredibly rich. Paris is a city full of diverse artistic movements and filled with boundless energy, with a lot of different professions and worlds.
What is the gift you would like to receive soon?
I would love to be given some Hoffmann silverware! very beautiful, very elegant. These are really very graphic pieces, made from a silver bangle. it is of pure and timeless beauty, of rare simplicity.
and what gift do you give to someone you love?
I believe there is no recipe for gifts. I always try to give a gift that matches a personality. undoubtedly le gramme jewelry is a perfect gift, right? I'm sure I can find a different creation for each person!
Finally, what do le gramme's creations inspire you?
with le gramme creations, there is a form of taut and timeless line, which works with all contexts, both a very smart and relaxed lifestyle! I find that there is a writing that is quite universal and at the same time contemporary. It works well with these very expressive jewelry. le gramme is a brand which is open in any case, everyone can find the object that corresponds to them.
and if you had to imagine an interior on le gramme, what would it be like?
this would be a fairly powdery interior, probably extremely absorbent, almost padded. I see something close to writing like that of the Paulin project at the Élysée, very enveloping and gentle. one could imagine a form of farandole of jewels per gram in the middle of this padded interior. there would be no color, or very light, almost bland. It would be interesting to play the dialogue between cold materials like metal and warmer fabrics, natural materials. the notion of reflections, finishes and textures would be valued. and a bit like the rounded shape of the ribbon bracelets, we wouldn't feel the edges in this interior.
“I would imagine an interior on le gramme probably very absorbent, almost padded. I see something that comes close to writing like that of the Paulin project at the Élysée. »
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bracelet_31g_silver-925_brush_smooth_jonc;bracelet_33g_silver-925_polished_smooth_ribbon;bracelet_11g_silver-925_brosse_lisse_beads;bracelet_5g_yellow-gold-750_titanium_brush_smooth_cable
