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Philippe Starck

(1949– ) Born in Paris. Lives and works between Paris and Lisbon.

"Subversive, ethical, ecological, political, humorous... this is how I see my duty as a designer." Philippe Starck

Inventor, creator, architect, designer, artistic director, Philippe Starck is certainly all of that, but above all, he is an honest man, a direct descendant of Renaissance artists.

His career is rich with 10,000 completed or forthcoming creations, global fame, and tireless multifaceted inventiveness, but the essential should never be overshadowed. Philippe Starck has a mission, a vision: that creation, in whatever form it takes, should improve the lives of as many people as possible. He strongly believes that this poetic and political, rebellious and benevolent, pragmatic and subversive duty should be shared by all. He sums it up with the humor that has distinguished him from the beginning: "No one needs to be a genius, but everyone must participate."

In the eyes of this accomplished citizen of the world, sharing his ethical and humanistic vision of a more egalitarian planet is a duty, if not a moral imperative, resulting in unconventional projects full of fertile surprises. His course of action is easy to guess: an object must be useful before being beautiful.

His prophetic awareness of ecological implications, deep understanding of contemporary mutations, enthusiasm for imagining new lifestyles, determination to change the world, commitment to sustainable downsizing, love for ideas, concern for defending the intelligence of utility - and the utility of intelligence - have led him from iconic creation to iconic creation... pushing the boundaries and criteria of contemporary design. He is like a true visionary who puts this art of innovation at the service of democratic design and ecology, oriented towards action and respectful of human heritage and nature, whether it's the Elise trash can or the Zartan, the first chair entirely recycled by rotomolding. The accessible and adjustable P.A.T.H. houses - high-tech prefabricated homes - recently attest to the durability of an approach that started in 1994 with the prefabricated home for sale in the 3 Suisses catalog.

Although most of his hotels have taken different paths (Royalton, Mondrian, Delano, Sanderson, and St Martins), Philippe Starck has left his mark on hotel design with these original creations. Each project is a destination that generates emotions and experiences. Hotels are no longer places of fleeting and impersonal passage, but spaces of living distilled with friendly signs, fun, and fertile surprises. Under Philippe Starck's impulse, they are transformed into theaters where each person represents their own destiny.

With the Rosewood Matarazzo, Starck has created, in his first project in São Paulo, a meeting between the luxury of the 21st century and the historical buildings of the former hospital where over 500,000 São Paulo citizens were born.

The Rosewood São Paulo Suites are true urban retreats, symbols of a new creative luxury of the 21st century, which for Starck, today, "can only be defined by taking into consideration the new post-modern parameters: honesty and longevity. These notions imply ensuring the best quality with a minimal design that surpasses ephemeral and fleeting trends."

Starck immersed himself in Brazilian culture, materials, forms, craftsmen, and suppliers. Delving into Brazilian roots was necessary to conceive the future Cidade Matarazzo: "This place is not material, it is the essence of São Paulo, and especially of the people who were born here. There is magic in finding a jewel that expresses the enormous spirit of Brazilians and the inhabitants of São Paulo" ... "It is essential that what we create in a certain place today remains relevant in the future: A sense of place and a place with sense, for today and for the future," commented Philippe Starck.

This philosophy can be perceived in every detail of the project. Starck creates spacious, meticulous, and inspired environments, where each detail holds significance: from the "national library," a poetic bookshop-luminaire, to the poems of Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Clarice Lispector, and Vinicius de Moraes engraved on the mirrors; hand-picked furniture, such as chairs by Sérgio Rodrigues and Oscar Niemeyer, and pieces designed by Fernando Jaeger, Jader Almeida, Tora Brazil, among others. Numerous customization options are available for the owners of the Rosewood Suites. Owners of the apartment floors choose finishes from various types of wood obtained from sustainable plantations, marbles from Bahia and Paraná quarries, and floors and carpets specially designed to complement the luxury of the lush garden surrounding the building.

"The sources of my inspiration are local and international, heterogeneous and originating from Africa, America, Italy, design, and architecture," says Starck."

In numerous instances, Starck drew inspiration from the amalgamated roots of Brazilian culture: indigenous utensils converse with images of the geometric modernist architecture of Oscar Niemeyer, quartz crystals from the Recôncavo in Bahia with the exuberance of our flora portrayed in the style of travelers from the 16th and 17th centuries, forest bead rattles with delicate stringed instruments introduced by Europeans.

Find out more at: starck.com

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