48 the World Of Hospitality
Le Balcon
Mathieu Lehanneur unveils Le Balcon – an exclusive
space for the new Air France Business Lounge
Bars
Air France has entrusted designer Mathieu
Lehanneur to create a bespoke bar area for
its new Air France Business lounge in hall
L at Paris-Charles de Gaulle terminal 2E. A
timeless space suspended between heaven
and earth, Le Balcon is set against the runways
in a unique and welcoming architecture.
Forming a curved structure sheltered under
an immense golden mirrored ceiling, Le Balcon
is a 160 sq. m installation that seems to be
about to take off. We are no longer in Paris but
not yet elsewhere.
The space includes a central bar with a
succession of outlying theatrical box seats
where passengers can relax and enjoy
gourmet delicacies prior to their flight.
Each box is upholstered in blue velvet and
embroidered with their respective numbers,
and features a large sofa, a pedestal table and
the latest connectivity services.
“Boxes are emblematic of a certain French
lifestyle. From the Palais Garnier to the
French Open, they expertly combine the need
for privacy with a dynamic collective spirit.
The lodge is always the best place to admire
the show!” says Mathieu Lehanneur. “Flying
is to remain motionless in a moving world.
It is feeling the cities and clouds slide under
one’s feet. I wanted this space to work in the
same way – at Le Balcon, one contemplates
in silence the incessant movements of the sky
and people” he adds.
“This superb collaboration with Mathieu
Lehanneur invites our customers to step into
a genuine world of comfort and well-being
inside our new Business lounge prior to their
flight. Air France has always worked with
the most innovative designers of the time to
bring an aesthetic and prestigious touch to
the world of air travel”, added Anne Rigail,
Customer EVP, Air France.
At Le Balcon, the show takes place outside
as much as it does inside. The uninterrupted
movement of planes on the runway mirrors
the movements of the travellers, whose
reflections enliven the interior’s mirrored
ceiling.
Website: www.mathieulehanneur.com
Mixing wood, marble, glass and light, Le
Balcon is at once chic, immersive and digital.
At the centre, the designer has integrated a
LED screen into the parquet floor depicting an
image of the sky. From daybreak to dusk, this
giant window of light imitates the variations of
the day in real time. Whatever your departure
time, this sky is like an introduction to your
journey, before jetting across time zones...
With Le Balcon, Mathieu Lehanneur wishes
to offer a real concentrate of France’s savoir
vivre, combining inventiveness, humour and
elegance with a great attention to detail.
Le Balcon is an unmissable destination prior
to boarding.
Technical description:
Le Balcon by Mathieu Lehanneur
Air France Business Lounge, Paris-Charles de
Gaulle Airport, Terminal 2E, Hall L
• 160 sq. m
• Self-service: from 05:00 to 23.00.
• Barman available for the customers from
• 19:00 to 21:00.