New Air France lounge at Charles de Gaulle

PHOTOS: Courtesy Luc Boegly / Air France / Brandimage

Air France’s faithful partner Brandimage imagined the airliner’s new first class lounge in Paris-Charles de Gaulle as a harmonious stroll that offers a fluid layout for the different areas and services. It is, after all, the prelude to a serene trip.

Inspired by a park, the new lounge offers a true break from the airport’s environment. The architectural concept was developed by Brandimage, in partnership with Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, as a contemporary reinterpretation of the language of plants. The shapes, materials and colors (shades of greige, green and ochre) evoke the organic world: Golden light, perforated wood, plant-based pointillism, overstitched leather, sculpted corian, a colorful palette, and a subdued atmosphere. Everything is natural, naturally.

The space is organised and structured, as if organically, by the flow of movement: taut lines and curves accompany the eye and favor wellbeing by preserving intimacy without closing off the space.

The lounge was carefully designed around the high-end lounge’s palette of services, in a variety of atmospheres that preserve each person’s privacy and freedom. Seating is organised around tables with permanent reading lights allowing guests to work and plug in their computers or mobile phones. Certain seats pivot to allow traveling companions the option of face-to-face conversations. Catering is offered in a cozy area where woods and shades of ochre create an appealing, comfortable feel. A unique relaxation space offers a true rest area with comfortable banquettes lit by organically inspired candelabras; guests’ privacy is protected by discrete partitions in organic shapes.

The multimedia area opens out onto the lounge, self-service iPads and computers are available. There are also numerous workstations. An entire area is dedicated to wellbeing, with ten shower stalls and three Clarins Treatment rooms. A separate VIP area can be privatised for important guests; it is open to all when not partitioned, and catering is available in this elegant area framed by a ribbon of light.

This new lounge intended for Premium clients of Air France and its partners, will be able to simultaneously accommodate more than 600 guests in an exceptional setting. An evocation of freedom, choice and harmony, the lounge offers travelers a unique experience, a comfortable and reviving interlude in their travels.

The opening of Air France’s biggest lounge is part of the Hub 2012 project, a major undertaking collaboratively defined by Air France and Aéroports de Paris, to improve the welcome and the services offered to travelers in Europe’s most powerful hub. The first and most important phase of the program is the completion of S4, terminal 2E’s new boarding satellite, opened on 28 June 2012.