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Artful Escapes

Artful Escapes: Maison Heler

The interiors of the nine-story monolith, located in Metz’s arty Amphithéâtre district, incorporate a dreamlike mix of soft pinks and whites

By Lanie Goodman
A modern building topped with a house-like structure and greenery-covered rooftop under a warm sky.
Maison Heler. Photo: Julius Hirtzberger

When designer Philippe Starck dreamed up the surreal 104-room hotel Maison Heler, a traditional 19th-century chalet floating atop a contemporary glass and steel base, the aesthetic choices were shaped by Manfred Heler, a purely fictitious character of Starck’s own making. The interiors of the nine-story monolith, located in Metz’s arty Amphithéâtre district, incorporate a dreamlike mix of soft pinks and whites, warm light, rose marble, copper, somber woods, buttery leather, and stained-glass panels by the designer’s daughter Ara Starck in one of the two restaurants.

Cozy living room scene with antique glass jar, dim lit lamp, and plush pillows on a sofa.
Philippe Starck design touches. Photo: Julius Hirtzberger
Cozy room with a leather chair, small round table set for tea, and a window with blinds filtering warm light.
Maison Heler. Photo: Julius Hirtzberger

To explain the genesis of the mysterious objects strewn about the decor, Starck crafted a novella titled The Meticulous Life of Manfred Heler, which proposes the backstory of a turn-of- the-last-century inventor obsessed with a dairymaid, Rose, recounted in the poetic spirit of hallucinatory French writer Raymond Roussel.

A cozy restaurant interior with colorful stained glass windows and neatly set tables.
The property features two restaurants. Photo: Julius Hirtzberger


A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Summer Issue in the section “Artful Escapes.” Subscribe to the magazine.