LINA GHOTMEH

Photography By L On Prost

ANA MOURA

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

MILES DAVIS

IBRAHIM MAALOUF

AMÁLIA RODRIGUES

FAIRUZ

OUM KALTHOUM

NINA SIMONE

ARVO PÄRT

DHAFER YOUSSEF

ZIAD RAHBANI

NICCOLÒ PAGANINI

CHILLY GONZALES

FELIX MENDELSSOHN

MARIA CALLAS

The Paris-based architect—whose projects include the Hermès workshops in Normandy, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu, and the Stone Garden apartment block in her native Beirut—grew up wanting to be an archaeologist. Though fate had other plans, she brings from that field a meticulous sensibility regarding landscapes and the passing of time, as well as a fascination with the most humble of materials. This June, Ghotmeh will travel to London to debut her design for the 22nd edition of the Serpentine Pavilion, baptized “À table.” The French dining call is a fitting motto for Ghotmeh, whose connection to music emphasizes the gathering of disparate elements—no matter the origin, generation, or genre.

HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT SOUND IN THE SPACES YOU DESIGN? I work with sound engineers to study the sound experience within the spaces I design. Each one has a different sound requirement. When working on atelier spaces such as Hermès, the sound of hammers and leather working tools is rendered musical with the acoustic paneling used on the walls. At the Palais de Tokyo restaurant, Les Grands Verres, the high space and the risk of noise reverberation shaped our material choices for the renovation; everything was orchestrated to have the most intimate experience.

WHAT’S THE BEST PLAYLIST FOR GATHERING AROUND A MEAL? The whispers and laughter of people around the table.

WHAT SONG REPRESENTS WHERE YOU’RE AT IN YOUR LIFE AND PRACTICE AT THE MOMENT? “Overture (‘Sinfonia’) in C Major” by composer Marianna Martines.