Les Ombres

The Les Ombres restaurant sits atop the Musée du Quai Branly adjacent to the Eiffel Tower. In line with the inspiration in nature that defined the design of the museum, the roof structure of the restaurant is based upon the structure of a dragonfly’s wing. This monumental and faceted glass structure extends across the restaurant, allowing an unobstructed view of the adjacent Eiffel Tower, contrasting the rational 19th century structure of the tower with the restaurant’s irregular 21st century metal canopy. The Eiffel Tower’s symmetry and logic are, as a result, juxtaposed with the irregularity of the natural structure of the dragonofly’s wing. The roof fragments views of the Eiffel Tower through its triangular glass facets. The result is a visual experience akin to Robert Delaunay’s well-known series of paintings of fragmented views of the tower. Within the restaurant, the shadows of the roof structure have been traced onto the walls, floors, tables, and even tableware. These fixed shadows interact with the actual shadows of the roof structure that are cast across the restaurant during the day to create an elaborate and elegant play of lines that give the restaurant Les Ombres (The Shadows) its name.