Studio GGSV’s Immersive Spatial Experience Blurs Boundaries Between Reality and Imagination.

The Conversation Salon.

The Reading Salon.

The Reception Salon. Photography: Jean Allard.

In a tribute to the centenary of the Art Deco movement, the newly formed Manufactures Nationales has unveiled its inaugural Pavilion Program in Paris. The program’s first edition features “Les Salons de l’Imaginaire” (The Salons of Imagination), an immersive spatial experience designed by Studio GGSV who reimagined the traditional role of the decorator-ensemblier with a bang!

Located in the historic Pavillon d’Angiviller within the Gobelins enclosure, this 200m² apartment has been transformed into three distinct but conceptually connected spaces that blend art, architecture and craftsmanship—the Reception Salon, the Conversation Salon, and the Reading Salon.

The Reception Salon showcases a striking dialogue between fixed architectural elements and applied décor, featuring a masterpiece of segmented woodturning in hypnotic black-and-white patterns. These twisted forms, reminiscent of Louis XIII-style columns, become the visual theme that extends through trompe-l’œil 3D perspectives printed directly onto wood panels.

“Our work exists between concrete proposals and manifesto projects. We seek to create forms that offer multiple interpretations,” explain Gaëlle Gabillet and Stéphane Villard, who founded Studio GGSV in 2011.

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The Conversation Salon centres around a generously proportioned hexagonal sofa in lush green velvet, with walls adorned with textile frames featuring metallic reliefs in verdigris tones. A luminous disc on the ceiling presents an ever-changing sky, creating a soothing atmosphere designed for dialogue and connection.

The most striking of them all is the Reading Salon, conceived as a total work of art where optical illusion envelops every surface. Inspired by 19th-century romantic landscapes, this space blurs boundaries between architecture, furniture, interior and exterior to create a dreamlike environment that expands mental horizons.

This project is a result of a highly collaborative approach with several French artisanal workshops. The Sèvres manufacture contributed porcelain vases with fiery “petit feu” decorations, while the Atelier de Recherche et de Création (ARC) of the Mobilier national helped create the signature black-and-white furniture pieces from white sycamore and bog oak. Additionally, thirteen specialised companies from across France, Europe, and Canada lent their expertise to realise this ambitious vision, from hammered aluminium mirror sconces to embroidered tapestries and custom carpets.

On display until the end of 2025, this installation marks a moment in French contemporary design, highlighting traditional craftsmanship and innovative techniques while posing the question: “Can interior architecture open new horizons for the imagination?”

The answer, evidently, is a resounding yes.

Gaëlle Gabillet and Stéphane Villard. Photo: Romain Ricard.

[Images courtesy of Studio GGSV. Installation photography by Jean Allard. Portrait by Romain Ricard.]