paola navone renovates mcdonalds' parisian restaurant with playful, artisanal aesthetics

paola navone has refurbished one of the oldest mcdonald’s restaurants in paris, inaugurated in 1989 in austerlitz district, transforming its interior into a feel-good, contemporary environment. combining bright hues with playful patterns and a crafty, almost artisanal aesthetic, the italian architect has translated her desire ‘to reproduce the atmosphere of a house where all rooms are unique, featuring color furniture to stimulate good vibes.’

all images by sylvie becquet

the white, bright box of the mcdonalds restaurant in boulevard de l’hôpital, in the 5th district of paris, has been enhanced through shades ranging from white to grey, aquatic hues, and different textures. ‘each of my projects is tied to an alchemy: it is this alchemy which stimulates the creative spark,’ notes navone. ‘when mcdonald’s first contacted me I was a little surprised. curious as always, I met with the team. and this was another surprise: we immediately liked each other ! their ability to listen, to understand, was essential. they have been eager, throughout this project, to find solutions in a universe with significant constraints.’

the warm atmosphere of a house translates into various details of the restaurant, including unique chairs that allow everyone to choose their own, tables whose patterns recall those of carpets, and surfaces painted in watercolor textures that seem as if they were hand-painted. ‘it took three years of hard work to bring these ideas to life,’ navone continues. ‘my biggest challenge for materials, was to design the marriage of an imperfect aesthetic, almost artisanal, with a demand for technical performance.’