Tribal Act Tattoo & Piercing Parlour — Paris

WORDS Lindi Brownell Meiring PHOTOS David Foessel

Paris-based architecture studio FREAKS freearchitects were commissioned to revamp and restructure a well-known tattoo & piercing parlour in Paris’ 11^th arrondissement.

Let’s be honest, tattoo parlours are often associated with dinginess and darkened rooms, and at least some of the time, this is entirely true. At 100 sqm, this tattoo parlour is quite the opposite. It’s clean, light and contemporary. The double-storey building has been transformed to meet the needs of Tribal Act owners, Nicolas, Oliver and Philippe.

With a welcoming waiting room occupying the entire ground floor area, the upstairs section is dedicated to a sterilisation room (in a glass enclosing), a piercing room and a tattoo room that can be divided into four compact “privacy cells”.

Complex Hieronymus Bosch artworks line the curtains (a purposeful and fun decision to keep clients preoccupied during the sometimes painful tattoo process) and all displays, lighting, couches and counters used to decorate the space were found in Paris’ renowned flea markets and countless dépôt-ventes (second-hand shops).

Find out more about FREAKS’ projects at freaksfreearchitects.com.