Hard Rock Cafe: Bloma Studio’s Caillou in Lyon’s Historic Quarter.

Photos: Yvan Moreau.

In Lyon’s fifth arrondissement, where the Saône River meets the foot of Fourvière Hill, Bloma Studio brings a glorious interpretation of modernist principles with their latest project, Caillou. The 140-square-metre café, completed in November 2023, represents the culmination of the studio’s evolving design philosophy—one that bridges the gap between historical context and contemporary vision.

Founded in 2014 by Julian Spagnolo and Jeremy Frenot, Bloma emerged from a shared passion for meaningful design that transcends mere aesthetics. The duo, who cut their teeth in luxury and gastronomy projects, quickly established themselves as masters of creating immersive sensory experiences. Their holistic approach to design considers not just client requirements but, crucially, the practical needs of end users.

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“Our work stems from a deep respect for the history of places,” explain Spagnolo and Frenot. “We bring a constantly renewed visual culture while maintaining an aesthetic of continuity—drawing from tradition to nourish modernity.”

This philosophy finds perfect expression in Caillou. Drawing inspiration from Albert Frey’s California houses, the project orchestrates a dialogue between raw rock formations and refined architectural elements. The space exemplifies Bloma’s talent for highlighting a location’s inherent genius while introducing a fresh visual grammar full of nuanced details.

The studio’s signature interplay of opposites is evident throughout—modernist and brutalist elements contrast with pop accents, while carefully selected furniture pieces complement sophisticated colour choices. This creates what the studio describes as “living places with immediate voluptuousness and affirmed epicureanism.”

Bloma’s branding work for Caillou. Photos: Jill Salinger.

After nine years of evolution, the studio’s rebranding as Bloma marks a pivotal moment in their creative journey. The new identity reflects their increasingly committed vision of total design—one that’s both subtle and radical. Their work at Caillou demonstrates this perfectly, with compositions that ignore traditional boundaries between space, graphics, scenography and furniture.

The result is a bold yet sensitive world that introduces a unique ornamental vocabulary to Lyon’s hospitality landscape.

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[Images courtesy of Boma. Photography by Yvan Moreau and Jill Salinger.]