Design and fabrication for Grand Central, the brasserie of Centquatre-Paris. Featuring a Truchet tile floor, bespoke furniture, and corrugated steel and wood wall finishes, the project creates a contemporary brasserie atmosphere rooted in tradition.
About
The design of Grand Central, the brasserie of Centquatre-Paris, focused on three main elements: flooring, furniture, and wall treatments, with secondary interventions on the ceiling. The client’s brief was to create a space with a unique atmosphere, echoing the spirit of classic Parisian brasseries – open, convivial, and of high quality.
The flooring, developed in collaboration with Tom Pawlofsky, was conceived as the central and structuring element of the project. Using a Truchet tiling system with six custom cement tiles, the design generates a continuous graphic surface that transitions between three distinct zones: the restaurant, the bar, and the ballroom.
Complementing this foundation, the furniture was entirely custom-designed: banquettes, several typologies of tables, and bar stools. The stools combine steel bases with plywood and laminated wood seats, while steel shelving and wall-mounted light fixtures reinforce the industrial yet crafted identity of the venue.
The walls were treated with two contrasting materials: powder-coated corrugated steel and framé wood paneling, adding rhythm, texture, and warmth to the space. Together, these interventions establish a coherent environment where materiality, graphic patterns, and convivial furniture shape a brasserie that is both contemporary and rooted in tradition.
Flooring Design
The flooring of Grand Central was developed in collaboration with Tom Pawlofsky, based on the principle of the Truchet tiling system. Originally theorized in the 18th century by Father Sébastien Truchet, this method uses simple square tiles with partial patterns that, through rotation and permutation, generate complex and variable compositions.
For Grand Central, a set of six cement tiles was designed and fabricated. By combining and alternating these modules, the floor evolves as a continuous drawn surface, guiding the visitor from one area of the brasserie to another.
The design orchestrates a spatial transition:
- Light area (restaurant) – where the motif defines the position of tables and axes of circulation.
- Intermediate area (bar) – where the pattern takes on a more psychedelic rhythm, echoing the dynamic atmosphere.
- Dark area (ballroom) – where the floor resolves into a symmetric, classical motif, reinforcing the sense of order and performance space.
This approach demonstrates how a modular graphic system can structure both the visual identity and the functional organization of a large-scale interior.
Furniture design
