Hôtel Dupanloup

Once the home of a notorious bishop, the 17th century building in Orléans, Hôtel Dupanloup, has been redesigned by Studio Makkink & Bey to function as International Research Center of the University of Orléans, developing a series of installations.

Studio Makkink & Bey developed a series of installations that transform the historic Hôtel Dupanloup chambers into lively public spaces.

Invited by the The French Artistic National Commission, Makkink & Bey furnished the main room as well as 23 working/meeting rooms of Hôtel Dupanloup by creating eclectic three dimensional collages of furniture; amongst others Prooff Worksofa’s, EarChairs and SideSeats in new colour schemes, a ‘Dupanloup chairand table’ specially designed for the project, antique pieces of furniture, a special edition of the Tree trunk Bench and re-designs made of Ikea furniture by students of École Supérieure d’Art et de Design d’Orléans that participated in a summer workshop with Studio Makkink & Bey.

Hotel Dupanloup — Top and above: Studio Makkink & Bey, Hôtel Dupanloup, Orléans. Photo Studio Makkink & Bey

Carpets and curtains outline the reprogrammed spaces and introduce a new heraldry that narrates about the content of the local archives (such as from the local Fine Art Museum, the Frac Centre and the House of Jeanne d’Arc).

The spirits of the past and present are merged and create rich contexts for researchers and visitors of the International Research Center of the University of Orléans to meet-and work in. Even when not in use these ‘room in a room’ interiors are intriguing spatial still lifes that portray several layers of time.

The project will be finalized in September 2014 with the opening of the building and launch of a publication about the project development and renovation.