Location: Lyon, France.

Architect: Philippe Starck.

Mama Shelter is a unique and atypical place that was created by a tribe of individuals who shared the same desire to create a different kind of space. The founders wanted to create a place that could surprise and exist thanks to the vibes of a district, the energies of its inhabitants, of a city and its travelers. Mama Shelter is not exactly a hotel, but more of an “urban kibbutz” made of meetings, freedom, fizz, senses and emotions. After opening in Paris, Marseille and Istanbul, Mama Shelter decided to settle down in Lyon. The Mama Shelter Lyon is located at the crossroads of three paths: Gerland, the university “Lumières” and the Guillotière. The entrance faces a fenced basketball court suggesting an urban territory, a little “something” of New York, or more exactly of Brooklyn. The Mama Shelter Lyon has been perceived with the same semantics as the other Mamas: large tables, a cocktails bar perfect for new meetings, an open kitchen to participate in the culinary magic, bright and comfortable rooms to help the quiet dreams. As in every Mama, Philippe Starck integrated local references: the texts about the speaking from Lyon (les gones), the sofas’ fabric designed with lions, wall hangings covered with chickens. Mama Shelter is a place that is loved by many and is a testament to the power of dreams and the importance of creating spaces that are unique and welcoming to all.

Photo credit: Philippe Starck.