The Grand Rex reinvented through the light of Alain Ellouz Paris

ALABASTER IN MAJESTY AT THE HEART OF THE GRAND REX

In the center of Paris, the Grand Rex—recently named “the most beautiful cinema in the world", has embarked on a major renovation. To redesign its lobby, ABP Architectes called upon Alain Ellouz Paris, renowned for its expertise in large-scale alabaster installations. The goal: to reveal the grandeur of the volumes while honoring the identity of the site. The answer: an architectural alabaster wall that becomes a sensory fulcrum, placing material at the core of perception.

An alabaster wall as a guiding line

To respond to the spectacular volume of the Grand Rex lobby, Alain Ellouz Paris conceived a gesture worthy of the space: a monumental backlit alabaster wall designed as a true architectural component. Far more than a decorative surface, this wall becomes a living structure shaped by light. Each slab was selected from more than 10,000 pieces of alabaster, then oriented and adjusted with millimetric precision. The result is a fluid, continuous surface animated by the stone’s natural veining, where contrasts and textures emerge with each luminous variation.

A subtle dialogue between architecture, material, and heritage

In a place steeped in history, every detail matters. The alabaster wall designed by Alain Ellouz Paris, a true guiding thread of the project, establishes a delicate dialogue between the original Art Deco geometry and a contemporary approach to materiality. Every choice—from the selection of the veining to the invisible finishing work—contributes to a coherent, understated, and timeless architectural expression. More than a decorative feature, this wall becomes a structural marker, a visual axis that bridges past and present.

A sensory experience shaped by bold material choices

Here, materials speak to each other: the hammered brass of the semicircular bar, its mirrored reflections, the marble rosette inspired by the 1932 original, and the backlit alabaster wall. Together, they compose a sensory and spatial experience. This is no longer a simple lobby: it is a staging of textures and light that invites visitors to slow down, to observe, to feel.

With this intervention at the Grand Rex, Alain Ellouz Paris asserts a vision, one of emotional architecture that engages the eye, the body, and memory. Here, alabaster does more than adorn: it embodies. And transforms a transitional space into a place of resonance.

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