Aline Asmar D'amman Reveals The Intricacies Of Designing Iconic Venues

Interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman reveals the intricacies of designing iconic venues and how emotion and cultural influences feed her creative process

- Cheryl Lai-Lim

If you were to take a peek at Aline Asmar d’Amman’s desk, you would find a treasure trove of material samples, jewellery and crystals, as well as books about different disciplines. “Reading feeds my work; that, and a relentless thirst to discover and embrace the unknown,” says the Lebanese designer and architect, who runs her studio Culture in Architecture, with offices in Paris and Beirut.

The design powerhouse made her mark in 2017 by masterfully orchestrating the renovation of the historic Hôtel de Crillon in Paris. D’Amman worked with many collaborators on the project, including the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. She hand-delivered her proposal on the hotel renovation to Lagerfeld’s office as a request to collaborate, and her sincerity paid off; he phoned her the very next day. Together, they designed Les Grands Appartements, the signature suites at the Hôtel de Crillon, to “embody the best of what Paris has to offer”.