After Proust and Mick Jagger, the “third renaissance of Bains Douches”
Some people may not remember it, but in the 1980s people traveled by Concorde. The supersonic plane traveled in 3 hours 20 minutes between New York and Paris. Regulars would fly into John F. Kennedy Airport for dinner in Paris, then party at Bains Douches until 6 a.m. On the way back, 30% of these happy party-goers found themselves on the same flight and the party continued. Two days later, the same people went to Studio 54 (on Broadway). Entering Bains Douches and Studio 54 was like reaching seventh heaven — thanks to Concorde.
Jean-Pierre Marois, founder of the current Bains Douches, was 15 years old at the time. In the 1970s, his father, Maurice Marois, professor at the Paris School of Medicine, bought a Haussmann building in the heart of the IIIe borough. He had acquired it as an investment, without really knowing what to do with it. The building was oddly designed: a swimming pool in the basement, a hammam, many rooms, too many corridors… too much energy.
In the 19th centurye century, this building had housed the famous Guerbois baths, as well as the Guerbois café, meeting place of the Batignolles group (1869-1875): Cézanne, Renoir, Zola, Degas and Monet. Later, Marcel Proust would also frequent the place, which attracted a creative, free, unprejudiced clientele. As it was the only building on the street to have electricity, it could be spotted from afar after dark. Today, two lanterns carried by bronze caryatids guard the entrance. Permanently lit, they recall the fragile and insinuating light of the end of the 19th century.e century.
Cocaine rat
Jean-Pierre still cannot explain how two young people in their twenties, Jacques Renault and Fabrice Coat, managed to convince the austere professor of histology (study of tissues) to rent the premises for them to fit out. a nightclub, instead of accepting a more prestigious offer: Jacques Maisonrouge, then vice-president of IBM World Trade Corporation, wanted to transform the baths into a computer store. The boys went to the anteroom to sell their project to the teacher. We don’t really know why he preferred the night club. Besides, the academic will never set foot there, unlike his son, who attended there proudly and passionately. His father was ultimately the architect of this marvel, in a way.
Jacques and Fabrice called on another friend, Pierre Benaim, who introduced them to the young Philippe Starck, who accepted the challenge of transforming the baths into a place from the end of the 20th century.e century. He installed
