At Charles Zana's home, his personal assortment of collectible design spans eras and aesthetics.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing, Courtesy of Charles Zana
The Collectors: Charles Zana
The architect's Paris home is filled with examples from his extensive trove of works by Ettore Sottsass
Paris architect Charles Zana. Photo: Jacques Pépion
Under the remarkable direction of Paris architect Charles Zana, retail spaces for brands such as Goyard and Louis Vuitton have become glorious destinations in their own right, while French resorts like the Hôtel Lou Pinet in Saint-Tropez echo their chic and breezy locales with an easy sophistication.
At Zana’s own home in Faubourg Saint-Germain-des-Prés, his personal assortment of collectible design spans eras and aesthetics; however, he has a special love for the oeuvre of Ettore Sottsass. His works by the Memphis Group master have been displayed at the Centre Pompidou, the Musée Delacroix, and the 57th Venice Biennale.
“Sottsass is one of the first architects to have understood the importance of the spiritual and the sacred,” says Zana, whose most recent acquisition was a prototype vase from the 1960s in a deep blue color that is rare for Sottsass.
Zana says he loves a "collision of styles." Photo: Mattheiu Salvaing, Courtesy of Charles Zana
Zana displays numerous works by Ettore Sottsass on a console table by Mathieu Matégot. Photo: Matthieu Salvaing, Courtesy of Charles Zana
Collecting philosophy: “I love a mix, a collision of styles. It inspires me for my own collections, which are a repertoire in motion. I like that my furniture is not a fixed collection but an ongoing dialogue between the pieces.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Late Fall Issue under the headline “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: At Charles Zana's home, his personal assortment of collectible design spans eras and aesthetics.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing, Courtesy of Charles Zana
